Saying the New York Giants are in a perfect spot at the kicker position would be incorrect. The viral Younghoe Koo clip from the end of last season perfectly encapsulated the team's kicking woes, but they're banking on one of undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada or Ben Sauls to win out in training camp.
However, the only reason the Giants are embarking on a kicker battle between the two of them is because of a kicker they recently released. Jason Sanders spent less than three months with New York before getting cut, but thankfully he didn't have to move since he was only moving cross-town.
The day after he was released, Sanders was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets. So instead of spending training camp in a kicker battle in East Rutherford, he's done so in Florham Park. But unfortunately, it seems like he's starting to fall behind in the Jets' own open kicker competition.
Ex-Giant Jason Sanders is falling behind in the Jets' kicker competition
Jets' beat reporter Zack Rosenblatt reported that the 30-year-old made kicks from 34, 36, 39, 42, and 45 yards in training camp on Thursday, but he missed from 47 yards out. And the 5-for-6 he went is worse than that of his competition; Cade York went a perfect 6-for-6 on his field goal attempts.
Not only did he convert the 48-yarder that Sanders (somehow failed to), right now, York is the one who's starting to pull away in Gang Green's kicker battle. He's positioned himself in an area where the Jets can't really afford to ignore him; it's hard to argue Sanders would have been any better off as a Giant.
The former First-Team All-Pro missed all of 2025 due to a hip injury, but he made 37 of 41 field goal attempts (90.8%) in 2024. Meanwhile, York has a more volatile track record--including an incredibly brief stint with the G-Men---but this strong impression will go a long way if he can sustain this.
While it's still too early to determine who will win either the Jets' or the Giants' kicker competition, it doesn't exactly feel like Sanders has gotten off to the best start, which could end his comeback bid before it truly starts.
Regardless of how this plays out, it doesn't seem like Jason Sanders has more upside than any of the existing candidates on the Jets or Giants--so New York should feel vindicated for wanting to go younger at the position, as it seems like his stint with both teams will be short-lived.
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