New York Jets Move to Solidify Controversial Position Entering Bye Week

The New York Jets have signed a player to man a position to avoid the snafu that saw them lose a rising star there last week.

Nov 17, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets place kicker Anders Carlson (18) kicks a field goal against the Indianapolis Colts during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Jets took a step on Monday to ensure they won’t have to play kicker roulette when they return from the bye week, as they signed Anders Carlson to the active roster.

ESPN reported that the move hit the league’s transaction wire. The Jets have not confirmed the signing.

New York is on its bye week and won’t be back at Florham Park officially until next week when it begins preparations for its Dec. 1 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.

Carlson was elevated from the practice squad before Sunday’s game with Indianapolis. During the contest he kicked a career-long 58-yard field goal.

That was good enough for New York. By signing him they moved him to their active roster, which means other teams cannot sign him away.

That was the mistake the Jets made last week.

New York went with Spencer Shrader to handle kicking duties for the Arizona game last Sunday. He was the third different kicker the Jets had used in as many weeks and he made both field-goal attempts in the 31-6 loss.

But, he was elevated from the practice squad for that game and then returned to the practice squad. Those players can be signed by other players as they are not members of the active roster.

When Kansas City learned they would be without kicker Harrison Butker for four weeks, they turned to Shrader, and kicking for the two-time defending champions, even if it was for just four weeks, was too much to pass up.

The Jets reportedly tried to keep Shrader, but he went to the Chiefs.

New York already had Carlson on the practice squad as they signed him in the lead-up to the Arizona game and cut Riley Patterson.

He took over the kicking duties in the victory over Houston in Week 9, but he didn’t kick a field goal. He did make three extra points. The Jets cut him to make room for Carlson.

The Jets are in this situation due to the downturn in play and injury to veteran Greg Zuerlein. He is on injured reserve. But, before that, he was having his worst year in a decade.

When he went on IR, Zuerlein had the worst field-goal percentage of any kicker in the NFL as he was 9-for-15 (60%), his worst since he went 66.7% in 2015.

Carlson was drafted by the Packers in 2023 in the sixth round (No. 207) out of Auburn. Oddly, that selection was one Green Bay received from the Jets for quarterback Aaron Rodgers trade in 2023.

As a rookie with the Packers he made 81% (27-of-33) of his field goal attempts and 87% (34-of-39) of his extra points. He was 7-of-12 on field goals of 40 yards or longer, including 3-of-5 on field goals of 50 yards or longer.

The Packers released Carlson on Aug. 27. He signed with the 49ers practice squad on Oct. 15 and was added to the active roster for two games after an injury to Moody. In those two games he was 5-for-5 on field goals and 3-for-4 on extra points. His longest field goal with San Francisco was 55 yards.