Justin Tucker among kickers to work out for Jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Five-time All-Pro Justin Tucker was among a group of kickers who worked out Wednesday for the New York Jets, who enter the season with some questions at the position.

Michael Badgley and Joshua Karty also were at the team's facility, according to the NFL's transactions wire.

The 36-year-old Tucker hasn’t kicked since the 2024 season after Baltimore released him in May 2025, months after reports that he was accused of inappropriate sexual behaviour by massage therapists. He was suspended for 10 games by the NFL, but Tucker has maintained he did not act inappropriately while receiving professional treatment.

New York claimed Blake Grupe off waivers from Indianapolis on Monday and released Jason Sanders, who beat out Cade York for the job. Sanders appeared headed toward being the Jets' kicker in Week 1 but was wide left on an extra point and short on a 54-yard field-goal attempt in the preseason finale against the Giants last Friday night. Sanders was later re-signed to the practice squad.

Grupe, who lost the Colts' competition to Spencer Shrader, likely will be the first option for the Jets as they prepare for the season opener at Tennessee on Sept. 13. But New York also is performing due diligence on kickers in case it needs to make a change down the line.

Tucker played his entire 13-year career with the Ravens and is generally considered one of the best kickers in NFL history. He set the record for the longest kick in league history at 66 yards in 2021, a mark that has been since surpassed twice by Jacksonville's Cam Little, who kicked a 68-yarder and a 67-yarder last season.

Tucker's success rate of 89.1 per cent on field goals is third all-time among players with at least 100 attempts. But he missed eight field goals in 2024 and his 73.3 per cent conversion rate was the lowest of his career.

Tucker has twice tried out for both New Orleans and Indianapolis since his suspension ended, including working out for each this summer.

The 31-year-old Badgley had stints last season with Indianapolis and Buffalo and has an intriguing Jets connection: He and passing game coordinator Seth Ryan, son of former head coach Rex Ryan, were teammates at Summit High School in New Jersey. Badgley is 109 of 131 on field-goal attempts during parts of seven NFL seasons with several teams.

Karty, 24, was a sixth-round draft pick of the Rams in 2024 out of Stanford. After a promising rookie season, he struggled last year, missing five of 15 field-goal attempts and getting benched in favour of Harrison Mevis. Karty was signed by Arizona off Los Angeles’ practice squad late in the season but didn’t kick for the Cardinals in a game.