The New York Jets have made a switch at the placekicker position once again. The franchise announced it had released Riley Patterson and signed ex-Green Bay Packers kicker Anders Carlson to the practice squad.
Carlson isn’t expected to get action for the upcoming game against the Arizona Cardinals, with practice squad kicker Spencer Shrader in line to receive the nod. Additionally, the Jets also confirmed that defensive lineman Bruce Hector will be elevated to the active roster.
Carlson was the Packers’ sixth-round pick in 2023 but ended up being released by the franchise after an uneven rookie campaign. He went on to play two games with the San Francisco 49ers this season and made five field goals out of five attempts, including two of 50+ yards.
Entering the campaign, no one expected the Jets to have a kicking problem. Greg Zuerlein was coming off one of his best seasons and just inked a new extension. However, things went sideways real soon as Zuerlein struggled to be on the mark, and his misses cost the New York team at least a couple of games.
The Jets went on to place Zuerlein on the injured list last week and ended up signing Patterson and Shrader to replace him. Patterson kicked in the win against the Houston Texans and made all of his three extra-point attempts. However, the Jets were reportedly concerned that his leg wasn’t powerful enough for long-range kicks.
The decision to go with Shrader is a puzzling one, as he never attempted a field goal in an NFL game. His only action came in Week 1 when he went 3-of-3 on PTAs for the Indianapolis Colts.
