The New York Giants have strengthened their kicking game by signing former Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders to a one-year contract. This move is part of the Giants” ongoing effort to revamp their special teams, particularly the kicking unit.
Sanders, standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 195 pounds, did not participate in the previous season as he was placed on injured reserve due to a hip injury incurred during training camp. The Dolphins released him on March 6, making him available as a free agent. The 30-year-old kicker had been a consistent contributor for Miami since entering the league in 2018, appearing in 116 games without missing a contest due to injury until last year.
Throughout his career, Sanders has successfully converted 187 of 221 field goal attempts, giving him an impressive accuracy rate of 84.6%. He has also completed 259 of 268 extra point attempts, which translates to a remarkable 96.6% success rate. Notably, his career-long field goal is 57 yards, a distance he achieved twice, once in 2023 and again in 2024. Sanders” standout season came in 2020, when he earned first-team All-Pro honors after achieving a career-high conversion rate of 92.3% on field goals and 100% on extra points.
In terms of distance, Sanders has been effective from longer ranges, going 55-of-70 on field goals from 40 to 49 yards and 33-of-48 from 50 yards or more. He also boasts 574 career kickoffs, with a touchback rate of 74.4% and an average distance of 63 yards per kickoff.
Sanders lost his position with Miami to veteran Zane Gonzalez, who signed a one-year deal on March 10. It is expected that the Giants will part ways with incumbent kicker Graham Gano, who faced challenges last season, including two stints on injured reserve, the latter of which involved a neck injury that required season-ending surgery. Officially releasing Gano would provide the Giants with a cap savings of $4.5 million.
In his quest for the kicking job, Sanders will compete against Ben Sauls, who is under contract through the 2026 season at a salary of just over $1 million. Sauls, a left-footed kicker and former player at the University of Pittsburgh, made a strong impression late last season by successfully converting all eight of his field goal attempts, including a long of 45 yards, along with all seven extra points. During his ten kickoffs, he recorded five touchbacks, achieving a 50% touchback rate with an average kickoff distance of 59 yards.
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