FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets held a workout for several kickers on Wednesday, featuring five-time All-Pro Justin Tucker among the candidates, according to a source familiar with the situation. This move comes as the Jets evaluate their options at the kicker position ahead of the upcoming season.
Sanders appeared headed toward being the Jets’ kicker in Week 1 but was wide left on an extra point and short on a 54-yard field-goal attempt in the preseason finale against the Giants last Friday night. Tucker played his entire 13-year career with the Ravens and is generally considered one of the best kickers in NFL history. He set the record for the longest kick in league history at 66 yards in 2021, a mark that has been since surpassed twice by Jacksonville’s Cam Little, who kicked a 68-yarder and a 67-yarder last season. Tucker’s success rate of 89.1% on field goals is third all-time among players with at least 100 attempts. But he missed eight field goals in 2024 and his 73.3% conversion rate was the lowest of his career. The 31-year-old Badgley had stints last season with Indianapolis and Buffalo and has an intriguing Jets connection: He and passing game coordinator Seth Ryan, son of former head coach Rex Ryan, were teammates at Summit High School in New Jersey. Badgley is 109 of 131 on field-goal attempts during parts of seven NFL seasons with several teams. Karty, 24, was a sixth-round draft pick of the Rams in 2024 out of Stanford. After a promising rookie season, he struggled last year, missing five of 15 field-goal attempts and getting benched in favor of Harrison Mevis.
Sanders was later re-signed to the practice squad. Karty was signed by Arizona off Los Angeles’ practice squad late in the season but didn’t kick for the Cardinals in a game. New York claimed Blake Grupe off waivers from Indianapolis on Monday and released Jason Sanders, who beat out Cade York for the job.
The 36-year-old Tucker hasn’t kicked since the 2024 season after Baltimore released him in May 2025 , months after reports that he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists. He was suspended for 10 games by the NFL, but Tucker has maintained he did not act inappropriately while receiving professional treatment. Because the Jets didn’t announce the workouts, michael Badgley and Joshua Karty also were at the team’s facility, the person told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.
NFL reporter Jordan Schultz first reported that Tucker, Badgley and Karty were working out for New York.
