The Jets made their kicking arrangement permanent on Tuesday, September 29, signing Jason Sanders from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and waiving kicker Blake Grupe. The club also waived cornerback Jordan Clark and added two offensive linemen to the practice squad.

The short answer: Jason Sanders is now on the Jets’ active roster. He had been elevated from the practice squad for each of the first three games and leads the team with 20 points on 5-of-6 field goals. The Jets waived Blake Grupe and Jordan Clark to make room.

What moves did the Jets make on September 29?

They made five moves in one release. According to the club’s transaction announcement, the Jets:

  • signed K Jason Sanders to the active roster;
  • waived K Blake Grupe;
  • waived CB Jordan Clark;
  • added OL Nick Dawkins to the practice squad;
  • added OL Jimmy Morrissey to the practice squad.

The moves come five days before the Jets (1–2) visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday, October 4. Kickoff and broadcast details are on our 2026 Jets schedule.

How has Jason Sanders kicked for the Jets in 2026?

He has been accurate. The club says Sanders leads the team with 20 points and has made 5 of 6 field goal attempts, all while being elevated from the practice squad one game at a time.

  • Week 1 at Tennessee: field goals from 52, 51 and 33 yards.
  • Week 2 vs. Green Bay: one make, from 32 yards.
  • Week 3 at Detroit: a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter, covered in our Jets-Lions Week 3 recap.

Before the Jets, Sanders spent his career with Miami, which drafted him in the seventh round (No. 229 overall) in 2018 out of New Mexico. The club’s release notes that he ranks third in Dolphins franchise history with 826 points, that his 84.6% field-goal percentage is the highest in team history among kickers with at least 50 attempts, and that his 221 field goals trail only Olindo Mare.

Why did the Jets sign Sanders instead of elevating him again?

The club did not give a reason in its release. What it did note is that Sanders was a practice-squad elevation for each of the first three games, so signing him ends the week-to-week arrangement and gives him a permanent spot on the 53. How elevations work, and how they differ from a full signing, is explained in our guide What Is the NFL Practice Squad?

It also closes a question that ran through the preseason. The Jets named Sanders their Week 1 kicker after an open competition with Grupe, and last week’s roster move, when the club elevated Sanders and Sterling Shepard for Detroit, was the third straight game in which the kicker came up from the practice squad.

Who is Blake Grupe, and why was he waived?

Grupe is the kicker the Jets claimed off waivers from Indianapolis on August 31, the same day they first released Sanders. The club’s release does not state a reason for waiving him. It lists his résumé: he joined the Colts’ practice squad last December, was promoted to their active roster on December 10 and played the final five games of 2025, making all 11 of his field goal attempts, including a franchise-long 60-yarder against Seattle. Across 50 career games with New Orleans (2023–25) and Indianapolis (2025), he has made 81.9% of his field goals.

What about Jordan Clark and the two new linemen?

Clark was waived after two games on the active roster. The Jets added him to the practice squad on August 31 and signed him to the 53 on September 15; he played 17 special teams snaps this season. He originally joined the Jets as an undrafted free agent after a six-year college career split between Arizona State and Notre Dame.

The two practice-squad additions are both interior linemen:

  • Nick Dawkins (6-4, 305) signed with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in April and was released at August cuts. He started 28 games at center over his final two seasons at Penn State and was a two-year captain.
  • Jimmy Morrissey (6-4, 305) was a seventh-round pick (No. 230 overall) of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 out of Pittsburgh. He played 14 games (4 starts) for Houston from 2021 to 2023 and one for Indianapolis in 2025, at both center and guard.

For where every player now sits on the depth chart, see the Jets roster hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the Jets sign Jason Sanders?

Yes. On September 29, 2026 the Jets signed kicker Jason Sanders from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster.

Who is the Jets’ kicker now?

Jason Sanders. He has made field goals in all three games in 2026, and the Jets waived Blake Grupe in the same move that put Sanders on the 53-man roster.

How many field goals has Jason Sanders made for the Jets?

Five of six attempts through three games, according to the club, and he leads the Jets with 20 points.

Why did the Jets waive Blake Grupe?

The club did not give a reason. Grupe was waived in the same move that put Sanders on the active roster.

Who did the Jets add to the practice squad?

Offensive linemen Nick Dawkins, a former Penn State center, and Jimmy Morrissey, a former Raiders draft pick who has played center and guard.

When do the Jets play next?

The Jets visit the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday, October 4, 2026.