Kicking was a disaster for the Jets in 2019.
Between Chandler Catanzaro retiring out of the blue, Kaare Vedvik missing two kicks on opening day and Sam Ficken being hit or miss the rest of the way, the Jets failed to kick with consistency last season.
Ficken, who only made 70.4 percent of his field goals for the Jets, going 19-27 in addition to going 23-26 on extra-point attempts. In total, he missed 11 kicks and hindered the Jets more than he helped. Ficken, an exclusive rights free agent, will likely be let go, as the Jets signed former Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher to a reserve/futures deal in December.
That said, the Jets still need to bring in kicking competition for Maher, whether it comes from free agency or the draft. However, there are some kickers the Jets should avoid at all costs. Let’s take a look.
Adam Vinatieri
Father time has finally caught up to the greatest kicker the sport has ever seen.
In 2019, Adam Vinatieri hit just 68 percent of his field goals while costing Colts three different games. For a team that finished 7-9, that was the difference between missing the playoffs and potentially winning the AFC South Division title.
Vinatieri has played 24 seasons in the NFL, only playing for two teams in the process. Although the future Hall of Famer has spent the past 14 seasons in Indianapolis, he will hit the open market. There is no guarantee he will return to the Colts for a 15th season.
With Vinatieri’s best days clearly behind him, he shouldn’t be anywhere near the Jets’ radar. Vinatieri may still want to kick, ending his storied career on his own terms. If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be in New York.