Justin Tucker Works Out for Jets as Kicker Chaos Hits New York
The Jets waived Jason Sanders after a brutal preseason miss and are now kicking the tires on a suspended Tucker. Here's who actually owns the job.
Claimed off waivers and the current favorite, but the leg is unsettled.
- Tucker converted a career-low 73.3% of FGs in 2024
- 89.1% career FG rate before the collapse
- NFL suspended Tucker 10 games under conduct policy
- Jets claimed Blake Grupe off waivers this week
- Grupe is our PK20, ranked #178 overall
The Jets' kicking situation went sideways fast. Jason Sanders shanked an extra point and missed from 54 in Friday's preseason loss to the Giants, and that was enough to end a training-camp competition he was supposed to win. New York waived him, claimed Blake Grupe off waivers, and stashed Sanders back on the practice squad. Sanders posted 137 PPR points across 17 games in his 2024 season — a top-six fantasy kicker line — so the fall from job security to street free agent stings.
Then came the twist nobody had on their bingo card: the Jets reportedly worked out Justin Tucker. Yes, that Justin Tucker — the eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro who spent 13 years with the Ravens before Baltimore released him in 2025 after 16 women accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. He denied the allegations, was never criminally charged, and the NFL handed him a 10-game suspension for violating its personal conduct policy.
The Football Reality
Tucker hasn't kicked in a regular-season NFL game since that 2024 season, and that final year was ugly on the field too. He hit just 73.3% of his field goals — a career low, and miles off his 89.1% career mark. The Saints and Colts both reportedly gave him a look over the summer. Neither signed him. That's the context for this workout: it's due diligence on an unsettled position, not a coronation.
Who Actually Has the Job
For now, the answer is Blake Grupe. He's the guy the Jets actually claimed, and he's the one on the roster. Grupe scored 112 PPR points over 16 games in the 2025 season, which slots him as our PK20 and #178 overall. Not exciting. His last five games ran seven fantasy points below his season average, so the leg wasn't trending up when the Colts moved on.
The fantasy read here is simple: don't overthink it. Grupe is the default hold-or-stream candidate as the presumptive starter, but a PK20 in an offense that hasn't proven it'll manufacture red-zone trips isn't worth a bench spot in standard leagues. Tucker is a workout, not a signing — and even if the Jets bring him in, a 10-game suspension makes him a Week 11 conversation at the earliest. Watch the depth chart this week, grab Grupe only if you're desperate for kicker points, and leave Tucker on the wire until New York actually commits.
