It looks like Greg Zuerlein‘s time as the Jets kicker could be coming to an end. The Jets will be holding kicker tryouts Tuesday at MetLife Stadium, interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Monday. They’ll go to the stadium on Thursday to see what’s best for the team, Ulbrich said.
It’s been a rough year for the 36-year-old Zuerlein. In Sunday’s three-point loss to the Patriots, he missed an extra point and a 44-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. He has missed six field goals in all this season, the most of any kicker in the league.
“We’re exploring all the options right now,” Ulbrich said when asked what the kicker tryout means for Zuerlein. “We really are. So we’re going to bring the kickers in for a workout, see where they stand, and decide after that.”
Jets’ Greg Zuerlein On Thin Ice After Latest Kicking Calamity
The Jets officially have a kicking crisis. Greg Zuerlein missed an extra point and a field goal attempt in Sunday’s 25-22 loss to the Patriots. Zuerlein has now missed six field goals this season. In this one, he missed a 44-yard attempt in the fourth quarter that would have extended a 16-14 Jets lead.
“We’ve got to take a hard look at everything that we do—everything,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said when asked if the team is committed to Zuerlein. “It’s not just on Greg; it’s on all of us. We’ll do that this week.”
The veteran kicker had been reliable for the Jets over the past two seasons, but this year has been a different story. The team may not stick with him much longer.
According to Ulbrich, the Jets’ problems with their offense stem from players needing more urgency to exit the huddle and not knowing where they should line up with certainty. They were called for a crucial game penalty delay as they were attempting to go for a two-point conversion, up five points late in the fourth quarter.
“All of our pre-snap stuff from an offense perspective has to improve,” Ulbrich said. On Sunday, Ulbrich opted against going for it on fourth-and-1 from the Patriots 11-yard line with the Jets trailing by two midway through the third quarter, choosing to kick a field goal instead.
“I just wanted the points, in all honesty,” Ulbrich said. “I wanted the points; I wanted an opportunity to take the lead; I felt like the defense was playing good football at that point, and I was going to put it in their hands.”
The Jets’ offensive and special teams struggles have put them in a difficult position as they try to turn their season around. With kicker tryouts on the horizon, changes could be coming soon.