Jets Country

Jets Make Kicking Change Before Hosting Eagles

The New York Jets made a change at kicker, releasing Matt Ammendola while signing Alex Kessman to the active roster before facing the Philadelphia Eagles.

Max Goodman

As the Jets look to secure their fourth victory of the season on Sunday afternoon against the Eagles, they'll take the field with a new kicker.

New York released Matt Ammendola on Saturday after holding a kicking competition during practice. The corresponding move to cutting Ammendola was signing Alex Kessman to the active roster, handing him the starting role in Week 13.

Kessman was added to New York's practice squad late last month. An undrafted free agent out of Pitt, Kessman spent some time kicking with the Chargers this spring. He'll be making his NFL debut on Sunday.

Ammendola was struggling quite a bit recently, missing three field goals over New York's last two games. The Oklahoma State product missed two kicks in a loss to the Dolphins two weeks ago, sparking some frustration from the coaching staff. Then, Ammendola couldn't connect on a 42-yarder against the Texans last week, leading to the competition in practice.

All in all, Ammendola went 13-for-19 on field goals this season, his first taste of kicking in the NFL. He had a formidable stretch early on, showcasing his booming leg, but his inaccuracy from deep has been a cause for concern. 

Ammendola was 2-for-8 on field goals longer than 40 yards and he missed each of his three attempts from 50-plus yards. 

Now, Kessman will have an opportunity to take the Jets' kicking job and run with it.

In addition to Kessman, New York also elevated tight end Dan Brown, defensive end Ronnie Blair and running back Austin Walter from the practice squad to the active roster.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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