Jets may have found their kicker as Nick Folk reunion is off to a perfect start

The Nick Folk reunion tour is already off to a perfect start. The longtime NFL kicker returned to Florham Park to participate in his first New York Jets training camp practice in nearly a decade on Thursday, and his return couldn't have gotten off to a better start.

Folk went a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal attempts in practice, including two makes from 50+ yards, putting early pressure on his competition, former UFL standout Harrison Mevis.

Mevis, also known as the "Thiccer Kicker," went just 4-of-6 in his attempts, with both of his misses reportedly bouncing off the uprights. After a strong spring, Mevis was the presumed front-runner to win the kicker job, especially after the team released undrafted rookie Caden Davis this week.

But Folk has now entered the competition, and he's quickly turning back the clock in Florham Park. The 40-year-old kicker is likely solidifying himself as the new favorite to win the Jets' kicker battle.

Nick Folk is already making an early case for the Jets' kicker job

The Jets didn't just sign Folk for nostalgia purposes. The 18-year NFL veteran is fresh off back-to-back seasons leading the NFL in field goal percentage.

He went 29-of-30 in 2023 with the Tennessee Titans, then 21-of-22 in 2024, including a perfect 6-of-6 from 50+ yards. Even at his age, he’s proven to be one of the league’s most reliable kickers.

Folk missed the final three games of the 2024 season as he recovered from a groin injury, but now that he's healthy again, there's no reason to believe he can't step right in and repeat his performance from the last two seasons.

The former All-Pro spent seven years with the Jets from 2010-2016, garnering a reputation as one of the best kickers in franchise history. His 729 career points rank second in Jets history behind only kicker Pat Leahy, who spent a whopping 18 years with the organization.

The Jets have made it a point of emphasis to get younger across the board this offseason, parting ways with both of their geriatric specialists in Greg Zuerlein and Thomas Morstead. That's why some were surprised when the team signed Folk this week.

But as head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters on Tuesday, the Jets are in the business of signing any players that can help them win football games. Folk brings much-needed stability and experience to a specialist room that lacked either.

The Jets have cycled through over a dozen kickers since Folk’s first stint with the team. Now, more than a decade later, it might just be the 40-year-old veteran who brings long-overdue stability back to the position. So far, all signs point to a reunion that’s looking, well, perfect.

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