The Jets’ kicking search is still very much alive.
New York has already cycled through a few names trying to solve the spot left by Nick Folk, and the preseason didn’t exactly make anyone feel better about Cade York or Jason Sanders. Sanders was even handed the Week 1 job before struggling badly in the finale, which kept the door open for more changes.
That door stayed open when the Jets claimed former Indianapolis Colts kicker Blake Grupe off waivers ahead of 53-man roster cuts. To keep the competition going, the team released Sanders and later brought him back on the practice squad.
Now there’s another leg in the mix. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that the Jets worked out former Los Angeles Rams kicker Joshua Karty.
Karty spent the last two seasons with the Rams before being released midway through the 2025 campaign. In a twist, he was replaced by former Jets kicker Harrison Mevis, who had competed with Folk during training camp last summer in New York.
A sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Karty has 25 games of kicking experience with Los Angeles. From 2024 to 2025, he attempted 49 field goals and made 39, with a career long of 58 yards.
If the Jets like what they see from Karty, a move would likely force them to choose between their current options. Sanders looks like the most obvious odd man out.
The former Miami Dolphins All-Pro was uneven all preseason. He started fine over the first two games, then unraveled in the finale against the New York Giants, missing an extra point and failing to get enough leg on a 54-yard attempt later in the game.
The appeal of Grupe and Karty is pretty clear: both can handle the long ball. The bigger question is whether either one can bring enough consistency to win the job.
Grupe had his own rough preseason in Indianapolis, connecting on just 2 of 4 field goal tries, which is how he lost the battle to Spencer Shrader.
Still, the former Colts kicker brings a stronger recent showing to the table. In five appearances in 2025, Grupe didn’t miss a kick and also drilled a 60-yard field goal in Seattle against the Seahawks late in the year.
The Jets could make more roster movement centered on Karty on Tuesday.
In Other News...
Jets Fans Are Revisiting The No. 2 Pick For One Painful Reason
The early part of the 2026 season has already given Jets fans a familiar kind of draft-day ache, and it centers on David Bailey. Taken second overall, the pass rusher was supposed to be one of the defensive anchors of the class, but his recent games have not delivered the kind of impact New York hoped for when it made the pick.
Across town, Arvell Reese has been building the kind of rookie rsum that only sharpens the comparison. The Giants defender has piled up tackles, pass breakups and an interception, making the Jets choice look even more painful by the week. It is still early, but the contrast between the two top defensive prospects is hard for anyone in New York to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Defense Just Took Another Hit With One Veteran Fix Emerging
The Jets defensive front took another hit this week when Braiden McGregor was lost for the season, adding more strain to a group that has already had to absorb its share of setbacks. For a defense built to carry weight on a team still trying to find its footing, losing another edge option only sharpens the need for help as the season moves on.
Joey Bosa has quickly surfaced as the kind of veteran fix that could make sense if New York decides to act. A five-time Pro Bowl defensive end who recently suited up for the Buffalo Bills, Bosa would bring both experience and pass-rush credibility to a unit that can use both, even if the fit is still only being discussed for now. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Glenn Already Has A Jets Problem He Cant Ignore
The Jets have already hit a rough patch under Aaron Glenn, with three straight losses and a 23-12 setback to the Bears highlighting just how quickly the early-season tone has changed. Defensive struggles and a steady stream of penalties have helped drag the team into an uncomfortable start, and Glenn has already been left to acknowledge the problems without leaning on the franchises long losing history as an excuse.
Aaron Glenn has tried to keep the conversation on the present, but that is where the pressure lives too. The defense has not been good enough, the mistakes have piled up, and with the team looking this shaky so early, the scrutiny is beginning to settle not just on Glenn but also on offensive coordinator Frank Reich as the losses keep mounting. [Read more 🡒]