The New York Jets’ kicking situation is in flux again. Anders Carlson could be the team’s fourth kicker in as many games when the Jets face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
This is due to Spencer Shrader, who made both of his field-goal attempts in his Jets debut last week, being signed by the Kansas City Chiefs off the Jets’ practice squad on Thursday.
The Chiefs needed a kicker after Harrison Butker was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, according to a person familiar with the situation, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the move.
Carlson, who was added to the Jets’ practice squad last week, is expected to take over as the team’s kicker, following in the footsteps of Greg Zuerlein, Riley Patterson, and Shrader in New York’s ongoing kicker shuffle.
Patterson, who is currently a free agent, had joined Austin Seibert, Ryan Santoso, and Aldrick Rosas on the 2021 Detroit Lions team that became the most recent to use a different kicker in four consecutive games.
The only other time the Jets used four kickers in one season was in 1979, when they had Pat Leahy, Rich Szaro, Toni Linhart, and Dave Jacobs.
Zuerlein started the season as the Jets’ kicker but was placed on IR with an injury to his non-kicking left leg on October 30. Afterward, Shrader and Riley Patterson were signed to the practice squad to fill in.
Patterson was promoted to the active roster just hours before the game against Houston on October 31, and he made both of his extra point attempts. However, the Jets released him and promoted Shrader for their game against Arizona.
“I thought he handled it really well,” said Jets special teams coach Brant Boyer about Shrader, just before reports confirmed Shrader’s signing with the Chiefs. “Kid’s got a lot of talent. I think he handled it well doing what we asked him to do and syncing up with those guys and doing a good job in the game, for sure.”
According to ESPN, the Jets had offered Shrader a spot on their 53-man active roster, but Shrader chose to join the undefeated Chiefs instead.
Carlson, who had been with the San Francisco 49ers earlier this season, was 5 of 5 on field goal attempts and 3 of 4 on extra points in two games filling in for injured kickers Jake Moody and Matthew Wright. Carlson was a sixth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers last year after playing at Auburn, and as a rookie, he made 27 of 33 field goals and 34 of 39 extra points in 17 games.
