Four days out from the season opener at Tennessee, the New York Jets still have not said who is kicking. That is not an oversight — it is a decision head coach Aaron Glenn is deliberately leaving open.

The short version: The Jets have two kickers and no announcement. Blake Grupe, claimed off waivers from Indianapolis on August 31, is on the active roster. Jason Sanders is on the practice squad. Glenn said on September 8 that both would keep competing and that the team will decide when it needs to.

What did Aaron Glenn actually say about the kicker?

He declined to treat it as a problem. Asked whether the situation concerned him, Glenn said: “Not really. I said it before, I’m not going to panic about that situation. I think they’re both capable men, all right. And at the end of the day, we got to pick one guy that’s going to be a kicker.”

On Sanders specifically: “We still have Jason on the practice squad. I’m going to let that play out. Those guys can continue to kick, continue to compete. Again, we’ll make the right decision when that decision needs to be done.”

How the Jets got here

The room has turned over twice in three weeks. The Jets waived Cade York in late August, which at the time left Sanders as the presumptive starter. That changed on August 31, when the Jets were awarded Grupe off waivers and moved Sanders off the active roster. He returned on the practice squad, one of a string of moves in a week that substantially rebuilt that unit.

What the Jets are getting in Blake Grupe

Grupe, listed at 5-7 and 157 pounds, went undrafted out of Notre Dame after four seasons at Arkansas State. He spent three years in New Orleans, appearing in 45 games and converting 75 of 94 field goals (79.8%) and 86 of 88 extra points, with 15 makes in 23 tries from beyond 50 yards.

Last season was harder. He missed eight field goals for the Saints and was cut in late November, then signed with Indianapolis, where he spent most of the year on the practice squad. Promoted to the active roster on December 10, he played the final five games and made all 11 of his field goal attempts — including a 60-yarder against Seattle in Week 15 with 40 seconds left that stood as a franchise record. He then lost the Colts’ summer competition to Spencer Shrader, a former Notre Dame teammate he had helped recruit.

The part nobody talks about: the operation

A kicker claimed in the first week of September inherits a snapper and a holder he has never worked with, and that timing is the real variable. Grupe is now working with punter Austin McNamara and long snapper Thomas Hennessy. “Definitely takes time,” he said. “It does take reps, but that’s what preparation is for.” If the Jets are weighing anything beyond raw leg strength this week, it is that.

What to watch

Practice squad kickers can be elevated for a game, so Glenn genuinely can carry this to Sunday. Whoever dresses at Nissan Stadium is the answer, and the depth chart is the place it will show up first — our guide to reading an NFL depth chart explains why specialists are the last group to firm up. Current roster status for both is on the Jets roster hub, and kickoff times for the season are on the 2026 schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the Jets’ kicker for Week 1?

The Jets have not named one. Blake Grupe is on the active roster and Jason Sanders is on the practice squad, and head coach Aaron Glenn said on September 8 that the two would continue to compete.

How did Blake Grupe end up with the Jets?

The Jets were awarded Grupe off waivers on August 31 after Indianapolis released him on August 30. He had lost the Colts’ preseason kicking competition to Spencer Shrader.

What happened to Jason Sanders?

Sanders was released from the active roster when the Jets claimed Grupe, and is currently on the practice squad. He remains in the competition.

What is Blake Grupe’s NFL record?

Over three seasons with New Orleans he made 75 of 94 field goals (79.8%) and 86 of 88 extra points. With Indianapolis he was 11-for-11, including a 60-yarder that set a franchise record.

Can a practice squad kicker play on Sunday?

Yes. A team can elevate a practice squad player to the game day roster, which is one reason the Jets can leave the decision late.

When do the Jets have to decide?

There is no separate deadline for the job itself. The kicker who dresses for Sunday’s 1:00 PM ET opener at Tennessee is effectively the answer.