New York Jets Release Kicker, Veteran Wins Battle


The New York Jets have been struggling for years now, but one position they've struggled at more than anything else is finding a consistent kicker, so this off-season, General Manager Joe Douglas went out to sign veteran Greg Zuerlein to compete with the incumbent Eddy Pineiro. Thankfully for New York, it appears that Greg the Leg still has a lot of juice left in the tank, as today the team released Pineiro, signalling that the former Rams and Cowboys star kicker will be the teams starter Week 1 when they face the Baltimore Ravens. 

No official announcement has been made the Zuerlein will be the starter going forward, but as Adam Schefter points out, as of right now, the 10-year veteran is the only kicker on the teams roster, signalling he will be the starter for the third team in his NFL career. The Jets may still be a year or two away from having a chance at a good playoff run, but having a veteran like Zuerlein around that has been a part of some successful teams will definitely help the culture that New York are looking to build around their young core.

Beyond that, Zuerlein has been one of the best long-distance kickers in the NFL over his entire career, and after struggling to find a kicker that had any kind of consistency, this was the obvious move for the Jets to make, and should really help them grow as a team in 2022.

Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports