New York Jets launch Eddy Pineiro as veteran Greg Zuerlein wins kicking job

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Former All-Professional Greg Zuerlein has gained the New York Jets’ kicking competitors, because the crew launched 2021 holdover Eddy Pineiro on Tuesday.

The Jets hope Zuerlein, launched by the Dallas Cowboys in March, can present stability on the place. They may open the season with a special kicker for the seventh straight yr and total have gone by eight kickers since dropping Jason Myers to free company after his All-Professional season in 2018.

Zuerlein, 34, signed a one-year, $2 million contract with New York in March. The Jets additionally had re-signed Pineiro (one yr, $1.75 million) in March, with the hope of upgrading the competitors and fixing their perennial drawback.

In the long run, they opted for Zuerlein’s expertise over Pineiro’s upside.

Pineiro kicked effectively in video games, changing all eight of his discipline purpose tries as a late-season addition in 2021, and following that up by changing his lone try (a 26-yarder) this preseason. He additionally was 2-for-2 on additional level tries. He lately missed some practices with again stiffness, however returned to kick in Monday evening’s preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Zuerlein did not have many preseason alternatives, both — 1-for-1 on discipline objectives (a 44-yarder) and 4-for-4 on additional factors. Observe efficiency weighed closely within the determination, with particular groups coordinator Brant Boyer calling it a “neck-and-neck” competitors.

“Each of them loads of leg energy, so it is going to be actually fascinating to see the way it falls out,” he stated final week.

The one query with Zuerlein, an All-Professional for the Los Angeles Rams in 2017, is that he is by no means kicked for a cold-weather crew. He has performed in a dome (Cowboys and Rams in St. Louis) and in heat climate (Rams in Los Angeles). He missed six discipline purpose makes an attempt and 6 additional level tries final season, main Dallas to launch him.

The Jets will take a $700,000 cap hit for releasing Pineiro, who had a $700,000 assure.