Sam Ficken … come on down. You’re the next contestant on the Jets’ kicking crusade.
The Jets signed Ficken to be their new kicker Tuesday and bounced Kaare Vedvik, who missed a 45-yard field goal and an extra point in Sunday’s 17-16 loss to the Bills.
Ficken is the fourth kicker the Jets have had over the last month. The Jets signed him after staging a five-kicker tryout Tuesday morning. Ficken’s only regular-season experience came over four games with the Rams in 2017 and 2018. He is 3-for-6 on field goals with a long of 34 yards and 14-for-15 on extra points.
Ficken, 26, spent training camp with the Packers and attempted only one field goal in the preseason and five extra points. He made them all.
This is the latest chapter in the Jets’ kicking saga. It began in March when the Jets opted not to sign Jason Myers, who made the Pro Bowl for them a year ago. They did not want to pay premium money for a kicker and Myers went to the Seahawks for $5.5 million guaranteed.
Chandler Catanzaro spent the spring and the beginning of training camp with the team, but retired after missing two extra points in the first preseason game. Taylor Bertolet then got a shot, but was inconsistent over three preseason games. The Jets claimed Vedvik off waivers last week from the Vikings and he bombed on Sunday.
“What do you want me to do? We haven’t performed well,” Gase said Monday of the kicking situation. “We’re going to try to figure out a way to fix it.”
Ficken is up next.
The Jets signed LB James Burgess to the practice squad and released OL Ben Braden.