The New York Jets hosted veteran kicker Justin Tucker for a workout Wednesday as part of an ongoing search to settle their kicking situation, with Michael Badgley and Joshua Karty also participating. None of the three were signed immediately, and the session arrives after the Jets claimed Blake Grupe off waivers and shuffled Jason Sanders to the practice squad.
Veteran options tested; no roster move yet
Justin Tucker, who last played in the NFL in 2024, joined Michael Badgley and Joshua Karty at the Jets’ workout. The trio’s visit did not produce an immediate signing, leaving the Jets to evaluate options behind the scenes. Tucker has already undergone recent tryouts with the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts without landing a job, and this workout is the latest team-level audition since his release by Baltimore on May 5, 2025.
Tucker’s résumé remains elite on paper: five first-team All-Pro selections, seven Pro Bowls, a Super Bowl title, and career marks that include 417 field goals and a league-leading 89.1 percent field-goal rate. He also kicked a then-record 66-yard field goal in 2021. Yardbarker described Tucker as having the best résumé among the kickers at the workout.
Those credentials are tempered by off-field developments and league discipline. Tucker was under investigation after massage therapists alleged misconduct from earlier in his career, served a 10-game suspension last season and is currently free to sign with any team.
Roster context: Grupe claimed, Sanders retained on practice squad
The Jets’ recent transactions keep Blake Grupe at the center of the competition. New York claimed Grupe off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts and, according to roster moves, released veteran Jason Sanders before re-signing him to the practice squad. The Jets have not closed the door on other kickers while they sort the roster.
Grupe’s pro numbers provide a baseline: he has converted 86 of 105 attempts (81.9 percent) across 50 career games with the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, and his longest successful attempt is 60 yards. The Athletic reported that the Jets intend to give Grupe a real shot at winning the job for Week 1, signaling the team plans to evaluate him in earnest despite bringing in veteran competition.
The workout puts a premium on clarity for the Jets: they have an emerging option in Grupe, a veteran on the practice squad in Sanders and a Hall of Fame-caliber free agent in Tucker who remains available but carries recent suspension and investigative history. New York’s decision on whether to add a veteran like Tucker or ride with the recently acquired Grupe will come down to evaluations on consistency, leg strength and roster fit as the opener approaches.
