Jets work out three kickers amid Greg Zuerlein’s struggles
The New York Jets could be looking for a change at kicker. After Greg Zuerlein missed a pair of kicks , both off of the upright, against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, The Jets brought in three kickers for a workout ahead of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Field Yates of ESPN.
Cade York, Riley Patterson and Matt Coghlin all worked out in New York. It remains to be seen if the Jets will bring one of them in to challenge Zuerlein for the job. Zuerlein's misses — which came from 32 and 43 yards — were very costly in a 23-20 loss that could have put the Jets into first place in the AFC East.
York started the season on the Washington Commanders' roster , but was cut after missing two field goals in the season opener. He previously kicked for the Cleveland Browns in 2022, finishing 24-for-32 on field goals and 35-for-37 on extra points.
Patterson has the best track record out of the three, as he has made 59 out of 67 field goals and 93-of-97 extra points across three seasons with three teams. Coghlin kicked for five seasons at Michigan State from 2017-21 and has kicked in both the USFL and the UFL since then.
Greg Zuerlein costing Jets as kickers around the league thrive
Greg Zuerlein has built up a name and a reputation around being one of the best kickers on the planet. He earned the nickname "Legatron" during his eight seasons with the Rams based on his ability to crush long-distance field goals with ease, and he has continued that success in recent years with both the Cowboys and the Jets.
Last season in New York, Zuerlein had one of the best seasons of his career in terms of accuracy, drilling 35-of-38 field goals and 15 out of 16 extra points. This year, however, has been a struggle. Zuerlein is just 8-for-12 through six games and has missed three out of his four attempts from 40 or more yards, which has hurt New York in losses to the Bills and Broncos.
To add salt into the wound, Zuerlein's decline (which still could be temporary) has come in a year where kickers all around the league have been drilling long field goals in their sleep. As a result, it feels like the Jets have fallen behind a bit on special teams, which has cost them mightily in a division race that feels winnable for a team with as much talent as they have.
