Kicker Nick Folk was a rare bright spot during a nightmarish 2025 for the Jets, but they lost him to the Falcons in free agency. Eleven days before the start of their season, the Jets still have not settled on a replacement. The team worked out free agents Justin Tucker, Michael Badgley and Joshua Karty on Wednesday, per insider Jordan Schultz.
Despite their interest in outside kickers, the Jets plan to give Blake Grupe a legitimate chance to win the role, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. The Jets claimed Grupe off waivers from the Colts on Monday. He appeared to have the inside track on the job in Indianapolis three weeks ago, but Spencer Shrader overtook him in the second half of August.
The Grupe addition was the latest move in a recent kicker shakeup for the Jets, who waived Cade York last week. Special teams coordinator Chris Banjo declared Jason Sanders the winner of the Jets’ kicker competition then, but he lost his roster spot when they claimed Grupe. Sanders quickly returned on the Jets’ practice squad.
While it is unknown if the Jets will sign a third kicker, it is clear Tucker is the highest-profile member of Wednesday’s tryout trio. As a Raven from 2012-24, Tucker nailed field goals at an 89.8% clip, the third-highest figure in history. He also earned eight All-Pro selections (five first-team picks and three second-team honors), seven Pro Bowl nods and a place on the 2010s All-Decade Team.
As great as Tucker has been for most of his career, the last couple of years have not gone well for him on or off the field. Tucker made just 22 of 30 field goals (a personal-worst 73.3%) two seasons ago. The Ravens then released Tucker in the spring of 2025 after 16 massage therapists accused him of inappropriate conduct. The league saw enough evidence to hit Tucker with a 10-game suspension to begin last season, but he has nonetheless drawn interest since then. The Saints and Colts worked out Tucker last fall, though both teams passed on signing him.
Unlike the 36-year-old Tucker, Badgley and Karty kicked in games in 2025. The well-traveled Badgley combined to go 11 of 12 on field goals with Indianapolis and Buffalo, but the Colts cut him after his lone miss came during a crucial loss to the Texans in Week 13. He played two games for the Bills, who waived him on the heels of a costly missed extra point in a 13-12 loss to the Eagles in Week 17. Badgley finished the year a dismal 20 of 25 on PATs.
Karty went 29 of 34 field goals (85.3%) and 32 of 36 extra points as a rookie with the Rams in 2024. But after Karty missed a combined eight field goals and PATs in their first eight games last year, the Rams replaced him with ex-Jet Harrison Mevis. They later waived Karty, who caught on with the Cardinals in December but did not kick in any games. Arizona released Karty in June.