After tryouts on Tuesday, the New York Jets are set to add their fourth kicker since Jason Myers’ departure in the form of Sam Ficken.
The New York Jets are adding yet another leg to solve their anemic kicking situation. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team is set to sign veteran Sam Ficken after inviting several players to a Tuesday tryout.
Source: The #Jets are expected to sign FA K Sam Ficken, who won the kicker workout today. He was most recently with the #Packers.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2019
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the Jets brought in several experienced names, including Younghoe Koo and Greg Joseph to compete for the job. The winner appears to be the Penn State alum Ficken.
The Jets will be Ficken’s sixth NFL squad. His lone regular-season action has come with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2017 and 2018 campaigns. He converted 1-of-3 attempts while subbing for an injured Greg Zuerlein last year, but successfully booted ten extra-point tries. Ficken spent this past summer with the Green Bay Packers in a vain attempt to replace Mason Crosby. His lone preseason three-point attempt, a 41-yard try, was made in a preseason loss to Baltimore.
Ficken’s arrival will likely lead to the release of Kaare Vedvik. The Norway native was claimed after final training camp cuts from Minnesota but struggled in his Jets debut on Sunday. Vedvik missed his lone extra-point attempt of the afternoon, as well as a 45-yard field goal try at the end of the first half of an eventual 17-16 loss to Buffalo.
Ficken now becomes the fourth kicker the Jets have had since the departure of 2018 Pro Bowler Jason Myers. Veteran Chandler Catanzaro retired after the preseason opener, while Alliance of American Football alum Taylor Bertolet was bid farewell in favor of Vedvik.
The Jets return to action on Monday night at home against the Cleveland Browns (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
