The New York Jets are working on rebuilding their offense while keeping their strong defense intact, but they can’t overlook the importance of special teams. This includes the kicker position, which can be the deciding factor in a game. Greg Zuerlein has been a dependable kicker for more than ten years, with the last three seasons spent in New York. He had a solid performance in 2022, excelled in 2023, and faced challenges with injuries during a tough 2024 season.
According to ESPN Jets insider Rich Cimini on his “Flight Deck” podcast, it’s likely that Greg Zuerlein’s time with the Jets will come to an end soon. Cimini mentioned that although nothing is official yet, he anticipates Zuerlein will be let go in the next month and a half. “I think they’ll probably release him after June 1,” Cimini said. “You might wonder why they haven’t made that move yet. The reason is that teams can only use two June 1 designations before June 1, and the Jets have already used theirs on Aaron Rodgers and C.J. Mosley. So, they’ll have to wait until June 1 to release Zuerlein, and if they do so then, it would save $11 million on this year’s salary cap instead of just $6.6 million, while also allowing them to spread the cost over two years. I think Greg Zuerlein, as a kicker, could be another June 1 cut.”
This move seems reasonable given that Zuerlein struggled with injuries last season, playing in only eight games due to a knee issue. In those games, he also had difficulties, converting only one out of five attempts from 40 yards or more and finishing with a 60% field goal success rate. Additionally, the Jets signed Anders Carlson to a futures contract in January. Carlson, who joined the team from San Francisco in Week 10 last season, made 8-of-10 field goal attempts, including 4-of-6 from beyond 40 yards. His performance has shown promise, and training camp should give a clearer picture of his potential future with the team.
