NY Jets accidentally lose new starting kicker in boneheaded mistake

If you needed any further evidence that the NY Jets organization has phoned it in on the 2024 season, look no further than the latest dilemma surrounding the team's kicker position.

The Jets have used three different kickers over the last three weeks, but their latest solution for the position, undrafted rookie Spencer Shrader, seemed to look the part in his team debut on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Shrader was responsible for all six Jets points, connecting on both of his field-goal attempts, including one from 45 yards out. It was only the second kick from longer than 40 yards a Jets kicker had made this season.

The expectation was that Shrader would remain the Jets' kicker moving forward, but that won't be the case. That's not because the Jets decided to move on. Instead, a boneheaded oversight on the part of the front office led to Shrader being signed away by another team before his second game with the Jets.

NY Jets lose Spencer Shrader due to organizational oversight

The Kansas City Chiefs officially signed Shrader off the Jets' practice squad on Thursday following an injury to Harrison Butker. With Butker headed for injured reserve, Shrader will now be the kicker for the undefeated reigning Super Bowl champions for at least the next month.

The Jets elevated Shrader to the active roster ahead of their Week 10 game but failed to sign him to the 53-man roster after the game. The team had an open roster spot too, one they used to claim backup offensive lineman Connor McGovern off waivers.

The Jets reportedly offered Shrader a spot on their 53-man roster after the Chiefs came calling, but by that point, it was too late. The former Notre Dame standout made the relatively easy decision to join the best team in the NFL instead of remaining with the Jets.

Of course, the Jets could have signed their new starting kicker to the 53-man roster after the game, thus preventing other teams from being able to poach him. Given the Jets' struggles to find a reliable kicker this season, one would think that would be a top priority.

But this is the Jets we're talking about. General manager Joe Douglas hasn't worked in weeks and is probably at home searching for future job opportunities. Team owner Woody Johnson, who has effectively been running the team since October, is looking ahead to a future political position at the moment.

You'd be hard-pressed to find an NFL team more checked out than the 2024 Jets, and that ranges from the front office to the coaching staff to the players. The entire organization is over the current season.

With Shrader now gone, the Jets will be forced to trot out their fourth different kicker in as many weeks. The team signed former Green Bay Packers draft pick Anders Carlson to their practice squad last week, and all signs point to him being the team's kicker on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

These are simple roster moves that most organizations with a functioning front office would have no trouble making. Unfortunately, the current iteration of the Jets does not have a functioning front office. It's only November, but everyone's already ready to go home.

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