The New York Jets' kicking competition is over, at least for Week 1. Head coach Aaron Glenn spoke with the media Friday ahead of Sunday's regular-season opener against the Tennessee Titans and finally provided some clarity on who will handle kicking duties.
Blake Grupe is listed on the active roster as the Jets' placekicker. Glenn, however, announced that practice squad kicker Jason Sanders will get the start Sunday.
Jason Sanders will be the Jets' kicker for Week 1 against the Titans pic.twitter.com/8196yzQTXg
— SNY Jets (@snyjets) September 11, 2026
That means Sanders will be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for the game, with Grupe expected to be inactive. The decision adds another interesting wrinkle to a special teams unit that has remained unsettled throughout
the offseason. Sanders brings a significant amount of NFL experience to the position and will now get the first opportunity to handle the Jets' kicking duties when the games count.
Jets release final Week 1 injury report
Coach Glenn also delivered the final injury updates before the Jets travel to Nashville. As expected, edge rusher Joseph Ossai (foot) and wide receiver Tim Patrick (groin) have been ruled out. Ossai's absence will leave the Jets without one of their expected contributors along the edge.
Two other likely contributors were listed as doubtful: kick returner Kene Nwangwu (hamstring) and rookie slot cornerback D'Angelo Ponds (calf). There was better news for two of the players New York has been monitoring closely. Running back Breece Hall and tight end Kenyon Sadiq carry no injury designation and are good to go for Sunday.
Nwangwu, however, remains a major question mark after his back tightened up Thursday. For the Jets, the uncertainty ends with one important piece of clarity: Sanders will handle the kicking duties, while the rest of the final roster decisions come down to Sunday morning.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Aaron Glenn names starting kicker for Jets vs. Titans
