The Jets are waiving kicker Cade York, according to a report from Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, ending a training-camp competition that neither man won cleanly. Jason Sanders is now the only kicker on the roster with the preseason finale on Friday and the 53-man deadline on Sunday.
The move is one of several the Jets made as camp closed, and it is the one with the most direct line to September. For the rest of this week’s roster churn, see our Jets analysis hub and the running Jets roster moves tracker.
What did the Jets do at kicker?
Rosenblatt reported Tuesday that the Jets are waiving York, the 25-year-old who signed with the club in March. The Jets have not issued a formal announcement, so treat the specifics as a report until the transaction shows up on the league wire — though multiple outlets, including NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk, have relayed it.
Because York has fewer than four accrued seasons, he goes to waivers rather than straight to free agency, meaning the other 31 clubs get a shot at him before he can pick his next stop. Our guide to how the NFL waiver wire works explains the order and the timing.
Why did Cade York lose the job?
Because the one live sample went against him. York missed a field goal in the preseason win at Pittsburgh; Sanders made both of his attempts in the same game. In a competition where both kickers had been inconsistent in practice, one clean night and one blemish in a stadium was enough to separate them.
The frustrating part for the Jets is that York’s leg was never the question. He hit a 60-yarder in practice during camp, and in his final session Monday he made three of five attempts, connecting from 32, 47 and 52 yards. Raw distance is the easiest thing to find at the position and the hardest thing to rely on. York has now been through Cleveland, Tennessee, the Giants, Washington, Cincinnati and New Orleans in four years, which is its own kind of scouting report.
Who is Jason Sanders?
A 30-year-old veteran with a long Dolphins tenure behind him and a serious durability question attached to it. Sanders spent his entire career in Miami before the Dolphins released him in March. A hip injury cost him all of last season. He signed with the Giants, lasted about two months, was waived, and the Jets claimed him.
That is not the profile of a kicker anyone is comfortable with, and it is worth being honest about it: the Jets are not choosing Sanders because he has been excellent, they are choosing him because he was the better of two uncertain options over one August. He is on his third team in six months.
Are the Jets done at kicker?
Probably not, and the calendar is why. Every team in the league cuts to 53 by 6:00 p.m. ET Sunday, and kickers who were comfortably employed in July become available in a two-day window at the end of August. A club carrying one kicker with a season-long hip injury in his recent past has an obvious reason to check that market.
Nothing about waiving York forecloses that. It clears a roster spot and settles who kicks Friday against the Giants — our Game Day Hub has the full preview of the preseason finale. Whether Sanders is still the answer on September 13 in Tennessee is a question the next 10 days will answer, not this one.
What else did the Jets do this week?
Running back Sam Scott was waived with an injury settlement on the same day, per the team’s own camp report. The Jets held their longest practice of the summer Monday before closing camp, and the bulk of the roster decisions are still ahead of them — 37 or so cuts between Friday night and Sunday evening.
Why did the Jets waive Cade York?
York lost the training-camp kicking competition to Jason Sanders. York missed a field goal in the preseason game at Pittsburgh while Sanders converted both of his attempts, and the Jets moved on with one kicker on the roster.
Who is the Jets kicker in 2026?
Jason Sanders, a 30-year-old veteran who spent his career in Miami before the Jets claimed him off waivers from the Giants. He is currently the only kicker on the roster, though the Jets could add competition after league-wide cuts.
Can another team sign Cade York?
Yes. With fewer than four accrued NFL seasons, York passes through waivers first, so any of the other 31 clubs can claim him. If he clears waivers unclaimed, he becomes a free agent and can sign anywhere.