The Jets began the season using three practice squad elevations on Jason Sanders despite Blake Grupe residing on the team’s active roster. More clarity looks to be coming to Gang Green’s kicker situation.
New York waived Grupe on Tuesday and signed Sanders to its 53-man roster. Grupe had been a waiver claim following cutdown day, but the three-year Saints kicker had not kicked for the Jets this season. Sanders had handled those duties, and that looks set to continue.
Beating out Wil Lutz for the Saints’ kicker job in 2023, Grupe operated in that position until midway through the 2025 season. New Orleans, however, waived the young specialist. That led Grupe to Indianapolis, and despite a mid-August report he was leading the Colts’ kicking competition, another cut commenced. The Jets scooped Grupe off the wire this time, but it did not result in any in-game work.
Considering the Jets’ Grupe claim, it would stand to reason the team would show interest in circling back here on a practice squad agreement — should the non-vested veteran clear waivers Wednesday. For now, though, the Jets are back to being a one-kicker operation after strange roster construction through three games.
Then again, the Jets have had nearly a month to evaluate Grupe in practice. Sanders, 30, is 5-for-6 on field goal tries this season — including a 2-for-3 mark from beyond 50 yards — and has more experience. The former Dolphins kicker missed last season due to injury but was in place as the AFC East team’s kicker from 2018-24.
Sanders made a brief stop with the Giants this offseason but was released. The Jets picked him up soon after, though after he had beaten out Cade York for the kicking job in the preseason, the team still claimed Grupe and retained Sanders on a P-squad deal. Despite the Grupe claim that caused a rare kicker double-up on a gameday roster, the Jets did still went with Sanders as their kicker. With his elevations maxed out after three weeks, the Jets will make his roster spot official and presumably stick with their current kicker moving forward.
Beyond the kicker move, the Jets also waived cornerback Jordan Clark. The son of former Steelers safety-turned-media presence Ryan Clark, Jordan has played eight Jets games over the past two seasons. The Jets also added linebacker Nick Dawkins to their practice squad. Dawkins is the son of former 76ers and Nets center Darryl Dawkins (h/t ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler); Nick Dawkins had signed with the Ravens as a UDFA earlier this year. Not the son of a famous athlete, center Jimmy Morrissey will nevertheless be part of this transaction drop; he accompanies Nick Dawkins in joining the Jets’ P-squad.
