The New York Jets finally made a move to patch over their kicking problems, using the No. 2 spot in the NFL waiver wire priority to claim Blake Grupe heading into Week 1.
Grupe has already been named the starting placekicker for the opener, giving the Jets a fresh answer after an offseason full of misses at the position. New York had cycled through a string of kicking options - Younghoe Koo, Will Ferrin, Cade York and Lenny Krieg - without finding a dependable fit.
Veteran Jason Sanders was included in the Jets’ final cuts, but he didn’t stay away for long. He quickly re-signed to the practice squad, where he’ll keep working through the offseason issues that pushed him out of the top job.
Grupe arrives with some uncertainty of his own. He was available in late August because he has not been a consistently reliable kicker over the course of his NFL career. In 45 appearances over his previous three seasons with the New Orleans Saints, he made 75 of 94 attempts, good for 79.8%.
There is at least one encouraging note in his recent track record. In 2025 with the Indianapolis Colts, the former Notre Dame kicker went 11-for-11.
Still, his preseason wasn’t exactly spotless. Grupe finished 2-for-4, missing once from 30-39 yards and once from 50-plus.
The Jets are trying to clean up a mess that started when they let Nick Folk walk this offseason. Now the job falls to Grupe, and the question is whether he can settle things down for Darren Mougey.
In Other News...
Saints Just Made A Roster Decision Fans May Not Like
The Saints made another quiet but meaningful roster move by reaching injury settlements with running back Devin Neal and edge rusher Michael Heldman, then placing both on waivers. It is the kind of decision that rarely grabs headlines on its own, but it matters for a team trying to manage the back end of its roster and keep as much flexibility as possible heading into the next stretch of the season.
Neal and Heldman had both flashed enough potential before getting hurt to make this a tricky call for New Orleans, which is part of why the move may not sit well with fans. The settlements allow each player to become a free agent while also giving the Saints some salary cap relief, and there is still a path for either one to return after the settlement period and a three-week wait. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Quarterback Future Just Became The NFC South's Biggest Debate
The NFC South hardly separated itself in 2025, with Carolina winning the division at 8-9 and a minus-69 point differential, and CBS Sports latest power rankings grouped all four teams in the same tier. For the Saints, that kind of landscape only sharpens the focus on quarterback, because in a division this flat, even a modest edge at the position can swing the race one way or another.
New Orleans enters the conversation with plenty still unsettled elsewhere on the roster, which is why the quarterback outlook looms so large. If the Saints can solve that spot, they have a real chance to climb in a division where no team has clearly separated itself, but if it remains a question mark, the path looks a lot murkier than a standings line might suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Taysom Hills Saints Exit Leaves One Big Question Unanswered
Taysom Hills departure from New Orleans closes a long, unusual chapter for the Saints, but it does not quite answer what comes next. After nine seasons with the organization, the do-it-all playmaker is on the open market, a rare free agent who has spent his career lining up all over the field and giving the offense a flexibility few players can match.
Hill has not signed with another team yet, and there is still no official retirement announcement, which leaves his status hanging in the balance. His age and distinctive style of play may be part of what makes the market tricky, and for now the Saints are left with a familiar problem for rivals to consider too: whether a player with Hills kind of value is simply waiting for the right fit, or whether his NFL future is already drifting into the unknown. [Read more 🡒]