Jets clearly made the right choice letting Nick Folk walk in free agency

Over the summer, one of the biggest narratives following the New York Jets was their decision not to pursue kicker Nick Folk in free agency. After having a career resurgence in 2025, drilling 28-of-29 field goal attempts, he opted to sign with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Jets then played a game of musical chairs at kicker all summer long, cycling through guys like Cade York, Lenny Krieg, and Younghoe Koo, before ultimately landing on York and Jason Sanders heading into training camp.

Preseason action didn't provide much confidence. Both York and Sanders were shaky at best, and the Jets eventually landed on Sanders as their Week 1 starter, but not without adding Blake Grupe as an insurance policy.

Despite Sanders' shakiness, it appears the Jets were actually proven right in their decision to not pursue Folk harder. The Falcons cut ties with the 42-year-old after another rough outing this past Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

New York Jets are shockingly better off with Jason Sanders at kicker

If you had asked a Jets fan before Week 1 if they would rather have Folk at kicker than Sanders, about 99.9% of them would've said Folk. After the first half of the season, that tune has surely changed.

Folk struggled mightily for Atlanta this season. Despite kicking in a less hostile environment than at the outdoor MetLife Stadium, the former Pro Bowler made a measly 72.2% of his kicks and struggled specifically from distance. He made only one of four attempts from beyond 50 yards.

It also helps that the Jets won't be on the hook for Folk's contract. The Falcons inked him to a two-year, $9 million contract back in March. They'll have to carry a $1.25 million dead cap hit in 2027.

New York, meanwhile, isn't on the hook for anything with Sanders. He's on a veteran's minimum contract at a $1.36 million salary for the 2026 season.

With the way Sanders has been playing, the former Miami Dolphins All-Pro has a chance to return next year as the team's kicker. He's been pretty solid all year for the Jets, hitting 87.5% of his kicks, including 4-of-6 from beyond 50 yards.

It's truly a development that no one could've seen coming, especially with how uneven Sanders was throughout the preseason. Just goes to show that no one knows anything until cleats hit the turf come September.

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