NY Jets continue to embarrass themselves with terrible Greg Zuerlein decision

The Jets don't regret keeping Greg Zuerlein.

Justin Fried

Greg Zuerlein / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The NY Jets have returned to their familiar place as the laughingstock of the NFL following their embarrassing 25-22 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 8. There isn't one individual to fault for the Jets' shortcomings this season, but that shouldn't absolve kicker Greg Zuerlein of blame.

Zuerlein has essentially cost the Jets three wins this season, his latest mishaps coming against the Patriots when he missed an extra point and a 44-yard field goal attempt in a game the Jets lost by three points.

Despite Zuerlein's continued struggles this season, the Jets have inexplicably stuck by him, and it cost them another game on Sunday. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich was asked after the game if he regrets the team's decision to keep Zuerlein.

Ulbrich offered a simple yet embarrassing response: "I do not." The Jets' coach stopped short of committing to Zuerlein moving forward, but the damage has already been done.

Greg Zuerlein decision makes the NY Jets look even more incompetent

Zuerlein is coming off what was quite literally the best season by a kicker in Jets history. The 13-year pro connected on a franchise-record 93.8% of his field-goal attempts in 2023, including 5-of-6 from 50+ and 13-of-14 from 40+ yards.

The Jets rewarded him with a two-year extension in the offseason, making him one of the highest-paid kickers in the NFL. He likely isn't going to last more than eight games on that contract.

Zuerlein has now made just 5-of-11 field-goal attempts from 30 yards or longer. Yes, 30 yards. He's made just one kick from longer than 40 yards this season. Zuerlein has been the worst kicker in the NFL by a wide margin in 2024.

To make matters worse, the best kicker in the NFL this season was on their roster just two months ago. Austin Seibert has made 23-of-24 field-goal attempts through eight games at the time of writing. His only miss has been a blocked kick. Seibert leads the NFL in field goals made and in field-goal percentage.

Despite Ulbrich's continued defense of Zuerlein, this feels like the week the Jets will finally make a change. The Jets do have a short week ahead with a Thursday night matchup with the Houston Texans looming, but surely this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back, right?

The Jets can continue to insist they don't regret their indefensible kicker decision. The reality is that the decision has cost them three games this season. That's as regrettable as it gets.

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Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.