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4d ago

Jets Elevate Jason Sanders to Start Week 1 and Keep Blake Grupe on Roster

The move buys time to assess kicking consistency at a position the Jets have struggled to stabilize.

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An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Blake Grupe during Jets practice in Florham Park, NJ, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, Image 2 shows New York Jets place kicker Jason Sanders kicks a field goal during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in Pittsburgh
An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Blake Grupe, who is battling for the Jets' starting kicker job, talks with reporters on Sept. 10, 2026 in Florham Park, N.J, Image 2 shows Jets kicker Jason Sanders (19) misses a field goal during the fourth quarter of the Jets and Giants game

Overview

  • The Jets elevated Jason Sanders from the practice squad to handle kicking duties for Week 1 and retained Blake Grupe on the 53-man roster as immediate depth.
  • The team made the roster change on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, signaling a short-term vote of confidence in Sanders for Sunday’s game against the Titans.
  • Sanders is a proven veteran who earned All-Pro honors in 2020 but missed the 2025 season with a hip injury and spent training camp fighting for the job before landing on the practice squad.
  • Grupe produced solid recent regular-season numbers (29-for-37 last year) and strong preseason work with the Colts but was released there and claimed by New York to provide contingency.
  • The roster moves reflect active contingency planning after letting longtime kicker Nick Folk leave in free agency and show the Jets will judge the position by Sanders’s early-season performance to decide a longer-term answer.