One of the Jets’ most debated offseason calls was letting Nick Folk leave, but the first weekend of the season gave New York a reason to feel better about that choice.
Folk, who entered his 40s and was still the most accurate kicker in football from 2023-25, had been excellent for the Jets in 2025 before signing with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. New York then spent the summer shuffling through kickers before settling on Jason Sanders as its Week 1 option, a resolution that came after a rough preseason stretch.
Folk’s Falcons debut was a rough one. In Atlanta’s 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, he hit only two of four field goal attempts, missing from 54 and 45 yards. That meant he matched his total number of misses from the previous two seasons combined.
Atlanta was already in a difficult spot, with backup QB Cooper Rush starting and little margin for error against a Steelers team that made the playoffs last year. Folk’s misses only made the task harder.
Sanders, meanwhile, gave the Jets a better opening result in their Week 1 win. He converted field goals from 33, 51 and 52 yards, though he also missed badly from 54. He added both extra points as well.
Maybe Folk has simply slipped. He has been sharp over the last three seasons, but the position can turn fast for older kickers. Greg Zuerlein is the cautionary example: after a strong 2023, he fell off a cliff in 2024 at age 37 and has not returned to the league since.
In Other News...
Jets Receiver Depth Suddenly Looks Like A Real Week 2 Problem
Omar Cooper Jr.s season opener ended with more than just the usual rookie turbulence. The Jets wide receiver was forced out with a high ankle sprain, and the next round of testing will determine just how serious the injury is and how long he might be sidelined. For a team already trying to settle its passing-game depth early in the year, the timing could hardly be worse.
The injury leaves New York with only four healthy receivers on the active roster, which immediately puts the position under a brighter spotlight heading into Week 2. The Jets do have two wideouts on the practice squad, but the situation has already opened the door to roster maneuvering and the possibility of adding a veteran free agent if the team decides it needs more help on the perimeter. [Read more 🡒]
Frank Reich Gave Jets Fans A Week 1 Debate They Wanted
Frank Reichs first game steering the Jets offense gave the fan base plenty to chew on, and not just because the numbers looked clean on the final sheet. Even with rookie Omar Cooper Jr. going down early, the unit kept moving behind Geno Smith, piling up 367 yards and stringing together five scoring drives while Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell each found ways to shape the night.
For a team that has spent plenty of time searching for an identity on offense, the question now is how much of this outing was a true sign of progress and how much came against a defense that was not exactly built to scare anyone. The Jets won comfortably, but Reich still managed to leave fans with the kind of Week 1 argument they always want: whether this was the start of something real or just a promising snapshot against the wrong opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Gave Fans An Early Reason To Believe In This Offense
The opener offered the kind of start Jets fans have been waiting to see from this offense. New York beat the Tennessee Titans 23-10 and did it with a balanced enough effort to keep control throughout the afternoon, mixing touchdowns and field goals while getting meaningful contributions from Sadiq, Braelon Allen, Breece Hall and Jason Sanders.
There will be a tougher test coming soon against the Green Bay Packers, but the first-game showing gave the Jets something real to build on. For a team trying to establish an identity early in the season, the bigger takeaway was not just the result, but the way the offense looked capable of sustaining drives and finishing them. [Read more 🡒]