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New York Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein having some fun in the middle of an NFL game.
The New York Jets will be without the services of placekicker Greg Zuerlein in Week 2 versus the Dallas Cowboys.
Gang Green announced that Zuerlein was ruled “out” on Saturday September 16.
In a corresponding move they signed free agent kicker Austin Seibert to the practice squad and then used a practice squad elevation to bring him to the 53-man roster ahead of the Cowboys game.
Jets Struggled to Find a Short-Term Replacement
Jets head coach Robert Saleh originally announced that Zuerlein injured his groin on Friday September 15 and wasn’t practicing.
With Zuerlein’s status up in the air, the Jets worked out an array of kickers just in case they needed a body for the game. Saleh doesn’t expect this to be a long-term thing with Zuerlein, but it was serious enough to warrant some due diligence.
Connor Hughes of SNY revealed on X previously Twitter that the Jets “called others” beyond Seibert the guy they ended up signing but “not many wanted to just be a 1-week rental.”
Regardless of how well that new kicker would have performed, they would have only lasted on the roster as long as Zuerlein was out.
Seibert is 26 years of age and has been in the NFL over the last four seasons. He most recently spent the last two years with the Detroit Lions.
During that span of time, he converted 13-of-17 which is a conversion rate of 76.5 percent but was perfect with his extra points going 17-of-17.
Jets Make Other Roster Moves Ahead of Cowboys Game
Gang Green signed veteran quarterback Tim Boyle to the 53-man roster. He had previously spent time on the team’s practice squad.
Following Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending injury, the Jets were left with only two quarterbacks on the team. Saleh acknowledged that they will eventually need to add another arm to the room but they were in no rush to do so on a short week coming off of Monday Night Football on September 11.
The Jets are taking their time to make sure whoever that person is a good fit in the locker room and would make sense with the team.
If Wilson and Boyle were to get hurt, the Jets would use wide receiver Randall Cobb as the team’s “emergency quarterback” according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.
In other news, the Jets cut ties with wide receiver Irv Charles who was a surprise that made the initial 53. They also elevated linebacker Sam Eguaveon from the practice squad for potential use in the Cowboys game.
Charles has less than three years of service time so he must clear waivers. If he does the Jets will likely bring him back on the team’s practice squad next week.
The Jets love his ability on special teams, and he also brings size to the receiving corps at 6-foot-4. New York lost some of that when Corey Davis surprisingly retired earlier this offseason and they didn’t replace it.
Despite how much they love several parts of his game, his spot on the roster always seemed in jeopardy if New York was forced to make a move at another position.
Paul A. Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he is also the official PA voice of the Syracuse Strong Football Club and co-hosts Cumulus Media’s morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Score 1260. More about Paul A. Esden Jr.
