The New York Jets released kicker Jason Sanders, reported by ProFootballTalk on NBC Sports.
The move comes during final roster cuts, as the Jets reduce their active roster to 52 players. Sanders' release leaves the team without a named starting kicker heading into the regular season.
The Jets did not announce a replacement. That leaves two realistic paths: they believe a kicker already on the roster is ready, or they plan to add one via the waiver wire. Either way, they are moving forward without Sanders.
Cutting a kicker this late is not a casual roster decision. Kickers are a low-cost position, so this is not a salary dump. It is a performance call. The Jets watched Sanders in practice and camp and chose to go in a different direction.
The risk is obvious. Kicking is small-sample territory. If the next kicker misses a key field goal early in the season, this move gets second-guessed. But roster building is about information, and the Jets had the closest view of Sanders' work. They acted on it.
What matters now is what comes next. The Jets must have a kicker on the active roster by Week 1. Expect a quick resolution, either by promoting from within or claiming someone off waivers within the next few days.
Here is the verdict: this is a bet on the team's own evaluation. If the Jets have a clear upgrade, fine. If they are merely churning the position, they created a problem where none existed. The pressure now falls on the next kicker, and on the front office that made the call.