The New York Giants have had kicker problems like the forest has trees. In recent years, the position has been an absolute circus of mistimed injuries, costly misses, and panic mid-week free-agent signings. If you could make contact with a football, you had a legitimate shot at making the team.
But with a special teams savant like John Harbaugh now running the show in East Rutherford, the organizational tolerance for kicking woes has officially hit zero.
Harbaugh's building a culture where nothing is handed out, and that philosophy is currently on full display in the specialist room. The front office has quietly assembled a fascinating, high-stakes three-man kicking competition. Veteran Jason Sanders, fan-favorite Ben "Better Call Sauls" Sauls, and priority undrafted free agent Dominic Zvada are set to battle throughout the offseason.
This is an urgent fix for a position that keeps costing them winnable games. The clock is already ticking on this battle, and the first roster cut is coming up faster than most fans probably realize. Giants insider Dan Duggan laid out the timeline in a recent piece for The Athletic:
"It wouldn’t be a surprise if one kicker is eliminated from the competition after minicamp wraps up in mid-June, leaving two kickers to battle during training camp and the preseason."
Giants kicker competition could be decided much sooner than fans expect
To understand why Harby is carrying three legs into mandatory minicamp, look no further than the scarred history of the Giants' special teams.
New York has repeatedly watched potential victories vanish due to an unreliable kicking game, cycling through replacements, and even playing games without a functional kicker due to poor contingency planning. The bigger issue is how often this keeps happening without any real change in approach. It's mind-boggling.
In a more-talented-than-ever NFL, where field position and slim margins decide playoff races, a dependable kicker is a foundational necessity -- not a luxury. Bonus points if they're elite.
The current three-headed battle offers a unique blend of veteran pedigree, incumbent momentum, and raw rookie talent.
Sanders brings a past First-Team All-Pro résumé but arrives with questions after a hip injury cost him his entire 2025 season. Sauls stabilized the ship late last year by going a perfect 15-for-15 (eight field goals and seven PATs) on his kicks, while Zvada has already turned heads by drilling a 55-yarder in rookie minicamp.
By throwing this challenge out there in mid-June, Harbaugh is already cranking up the pressure. This underrated battle could end up being the most important one in camp, because whoever wins it will have a direct impact on how the Giants handle close- and late-game situations. Finding the right guy sooner rather than later is a must, hence the reported urgency.
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