Jets may have been screwed either way between Jason Sanders and Nick Folk

When Aaron Glenn announced that Jason Sanders was going to be the New York Jets' Week 1 kicker, fans likely lost their minds. After all, he was pretty much dreadful in the preseason finale and was even released as part of final roster cuts.

The Jets ended up bringing him back to the practice squad, but they ended up claiming a replacement in former Indianapolis Colts kicker Blake Grupe. Nonetheless, Sanders got the starting nod against the Tennessee Titans.

Things started off rough for Sanders. He made his first extra-point attempt, but his first field-goal try was absolutely atrocious. Late in the second quarter, the former Miami Dolphins All-Pro absolutely shanked a 54-yarder. It really wasn't even close.

Jets fans likely had the lingering thought in the back of their mind all summer: what if Darren Mougey had just coughed up a little more to Nick Folk in free agency this past March? But Folk's own Week 1 performance left a lot to be desired.

New York Jets may not have been better off with Nick Folk

Folk, in his debut with the Atlanta Falcons, was actually worse than Sanders, if you can believe it. Despite being one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL in 2025, the 41-year-old kicker was 2-for-4 on field-goal attempts, including misses from 54 and 45 yards.

Call it foresight from the Jets' general manager, seeing into the future that Folk's age would catch up to him in 2026, or just call it luck. It might be a knee-jerk reaction, but it seems like New York may have dodged a bullet there.

Sanders had the initial disaster kick, but was actually pretty steady to close out the game. He finished the afternoon 3-of-4 on field goal attempts, drilling kicks from 33, 51, and 52.

Still, Sanders shouldn't be considered a lock to be New York's kicker for the rest of the season. He's still incredibly iffy from long-range, and he didn't completely wave off all concerns.

Grupe, who remains on the Jets' 53-man roster, will surely get a chance at some point throughout the year, but it seems like for now, Sanders will be their guy from week to week.

He'll likely get another chance next week against the Green Bay Packers, but the leash is short. To close out the first half, it felt like the Jets needed to get inside the 30-yard line in order to feel comfortable trotting out their kicker.

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