And then there were two kickers on the New York Giants‘ roster.
The Giants released veteran Jason Sanders on Tuesday, consolidating their kicking competition to just Ben Sauls and Dominic Zvada.
The Giants cut Sanders in the corresponding move after announcing they had signed veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster on Tuesday. Smith-Schuster was part of an array of wideout signings, which included slot receiver and special teamer Braxton Berrios and 2014 Giants first-round draft pick Odell Beckham Jr.
Sanders, 30, spent eight seasons with the Miami Dolphins before he was released March 6 after missing the entire 2025 season with a hip injury. He had signed with the Giants on March 11.
The Giants Cut Kicker Jason Sanders
Sanders was coming off a devastating injury for a kicker but had struggled toward the end of his tenure with the Dolphins anyway.
Sanders missed 21 field goals over his final four seasons in South Florida and went 28 for 36 (77.8%) on kicks of 40+ yards over the 2023-24 seasons. Riley Patterson, who made 27 of 29 field goals for the Dolphins in 2025, made Sanders expendable, especially since Patterson was 14 for 15 from 40+ yard sand missed one extra point last year.
The Giants initially signed Sanders to challenge incumbent Graham Gano, who was the Giants’ primary kicker for the past six seasons. But the Giants released Gano after he failed a physical March 30, after he played in just five games in 2025 while dealing primarily with a groin injury.
The Giants Have Two Unproven Kickers on Their Roster
Sanders was expected to be the frontrunner for the Giants’ kicking role, so the fact he was the first kicker released is pretty surprising.
It’s entirely possible the 30-year-old is still not 100%. The hip is a kicker’s pendulum, which means any injury or weakness can hamper leg strength or mechanics — the latter of which may be more important than how far he can kick the ball.
But whatever the reason, the Giants chose to part with Sanders in favor of Sauls, a second-year kicker, and Zvada, the undrafted free agent from Michigan. Between the two, they have attempted eight NFL field goals, all from Sauls in 2025.
Sauls is an incumbent who kicked in the Giants’ final three games a season ago and did not miss a kick in that span. Still, he is a month short of his 25th birthday.
Zvada, the 2024 Big Ten Kicker of the Year, struggled in his senior season in Ann Arbor. Despite going 43 for 43 on extra points, Zvada made only 17 of 25 field goals last year.
Either way, it doesn’t seem like a fun or comfortable feeling for Giants fans, who have PTSD about their placekickers.
The Giants have lost a placekicker midgame in three straight seasons, including Gano who was injured in pregame last against the Kansas City Chiefs and on the opening kickoff against the Washington Commanders in 2024.
But inexperienced kickers are also a sore subject for Giants fans. Gano’s replacement Jude McAtamney missed three extra points last season, including two in their 33-32 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 7.
The Giants finished 32nd in the NFL in extra-point percentage (87.8%), and had lower percentage on PATs than field goals (88.5) last year. But they will need to shore up their kicking game this year, especially after the Giants lost four games by four points or less and two in overtime.
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