Now that the season is over, it’s time to update you on former New York Jets players and how they are faring with their current teams. Having looked at offensive and defensive players over the past week or so, we’ll be moving on to look at special teamers today.
As ever, this list is intended to be exhaustive, but if we missed anyone, let us know in the comments.
Kickers
Given their own struggles at the placekicker position, it was remarkable to see how many former Jets around the NFL had excellent seasons.
Nick Folk, Tennessee Titans
Folk led the NFL in field goal percentage for the second straight season as he made 21 of 22. He also made all 25 of his extra point attempts and had a game winner in overtime against New England. Folk is now a pending free agent.
Cairo Santos, Chicago Bears
Santos also had a strong year as he made 21 of 25 field goals and 25 of 26 extra points. One week after his last second field goal was blocked in a one-point loss to the Packers, he made a clutch game-tying kick to send the game against the Vikings into overtime, but the Bears lost in the extra session. Santos remains under contract for 2025.
Chase McLaughlin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
McLaughlin made 32 of 34 field goals including nine from beyond 50 yards and 56 of 58 extra points (including the postseason). He had a game tying kick, then missed a potential game winner in overtime then finally made the game winning kick in a win against the Panthers. He also had a clutch game tying kick against the 49ers but the Bucs still lost. McLaughlin remains under contract for 2025.
Eddy Pineiro, Carolina Panthers
Pineiro also had a strong year although he missed some kicks down the stretch to end up 22 of 26 on field goals and 33 for 35 on extra points. He had a game winner in overtime against the Commanders earlier in the year and is now a pending free agent.
Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks
Myers struggles early but was strong down the stretch as he ended up successful on 26 of 30 field goals and 37 of 40 extra points. In the win over New England, he tied the game to send it to overtime and then won it in the extra period. Myers also gets credit for a game-winner in the 6-3 win over the Bears, although that came in the second quarter. He missed a potential game-tying 60-yarder with two minutes left in the loss to the Vikings, though. He remains under contract for 2025.
Austin Seibert, Washington Commanders
Seibert missed just five kicks all year but three of these came in the game against Dallas as he missed a field goal and two extra points, including one which would have tied the game in the closing seconds. He headed to injured reserve for the rest of the season with a hip issue shortly afterwards and ended up making 27 of 30 field goals and 22 of 24 extra points. He was the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in the second game of the year as he was 7-for-7 in a 21-18 win over the Giants. Seibert is now a free agent.
Spencer Shrader, Kansas City Chiefs
Spencer Shrader’s second game with the Chiefs saw him make a name for himself with a walk-off field goal to give them the win over the Panthers. However, he didn’t play again as Harrison Butker was back the next week. He ended the season having made all 14 of his kicks with three teams, including the Jets. He is now an exclusive rights free agent.
Riley Patterson, Atlanta Falcons
After leaving the Jets, Patterson had two stints with the Falcons and one with the Browns. He eventually kicked in three games for Atlanta, making all 12 of his extra point attempts but missing three of seven field goals. He is now out of contract.
Punters
Braden Mann, Philadelphia Eagles
Mann put together a solid year as he averaged 49 yards per punt gross and 42 net. However, these numbers had been higher earlier in the year and fell off, so he ended up falling short of his career-best numbers from last year. Mann also had one blocked and was second in the NFL for touchbacks. He also kicked off for the Eagles.
Long Snappers
Patrick Scales, Chicago Bears
Scales was on injured reserve all year and did not play. He is now a free agent.
Zach Triner, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins
Triner was re-signed by the Bucs and played six games with them before being released, then got added to Miami’s practice squad and was elevated for three games with them. He was released again in December.
Return Specialists
Braxton Berrios, Miami Dolphins
Berrios, who suffered a serious early season injury, had some early success returning punts as he had a 44-yarder and was averaging 15 yards per return. He had only returned three kickoffs. He is now out of contract.
Jamison Crowder, Washington Commanders
Crowder saw some action as a punt returner with 98 yards on nine attempts including a long of 23 yards. He is also a pending free agent.
Kalif Raymond, Detroit Lions
Raymond led the league in punt return yardage and was third in average at almost 14 per attempt. He had a 90-yard touchdown return earlier in the season. He only returned two kick-offs. Raymond remains under contract.
Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals
Dortch, who is a pending restricted free agent, was also solid on punt returns this year as he averaged 9.6 yards per return with a long of 27. He also returned seven kickoffs for 186 yards.
Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs
Hardman averaged 10.2 yards per punt return with a longest of 55 yards and also returned five kickoffs. However, he ended up on injured reserve and is now a pending free agent.
Ty Johnson, Buffalo Bills
Including the postseason, Johnson returned seven kickoffs for 189 yards with a long of 45. He is now a free agent.
Brandon Codrington, Buffalo Bills
After a good early impact, Codrington saw his numbers fall off a bit and basically lost the kickoff return role to Johnson despite averaging 27.7 yards per return with a long of 53. He averaged 11.6 yards per punt return with a long of 29, but also had two muffs. He remains under contract.
Alex Erickson, New England Patriots, Houston Texans
Erickson saw some action late in the season as he returned four kickoffs for 106 yards with a long of 34 and four punts for 41 yards with a long of 26. He is now a free agent.
Other Special Teams Contributors
Washington Commanders linebacker Nick Bellore was without a team until early in the season but made a big impact with the Commanders as he led the entire NFL with 24 special teams tackles, including five in one game.
Houston Texans linebackers Neville Hewitt and Del’Shawn Phillips once again contributed well with 11 special teams tackles each. Phillips also got credit for a safety in the postseason.
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Nick Vigil and Carolina Panthers linebacker Claud Cherelus were also productive as they racked up eight and seven special teams tackles. Of these five linebackers, Cherelus is the only one who is under contract for 2025.
In the secondary, Miami Dolphins defensive back Elijah Campbell and Green Bay Packers cornerback Corey Ballentine each also made good contributions as Campbell had a handful of tackles and Ballentine also had a few tackles and a forced fumble. They’re both free agents.
Finally, Tennessee Titans cornerback and former Jets special teams captain Justin Hardee didn’t see action with his first two teams in 2024, but ended up playing nine games and recording three special teams tackles for Tennessee.