Justin Tucker worked out for the Jets on Wednesday as the team tested three kickers in one session, a clear sign that the search for a replacement is still open. Michael Badgley and Josh Karty were also at the Jets' facility that day.
The timing matters because the Jets are trying to settle a position that has already shifted again this week. They let Nick Folk walk after last season, claimed Blake Grupe off waivers earlier this week, and still came away from Friday with more questions after Jason Sanders missed a field goal and an extra point in a preseason game against the Giants before landing on the practice squad.
Tucker remains the biggest name in the group, but the larger story is that reputation has not yet turned into a contract. He is a five-time first-team All-Pro, yet he is still moving through tryouts after serving a 10-game suspension to start last season under the NFL's personal conduct policy. After being reinstated, he also tried out for the Saints and Colts and was not signed.
That is the friction inside this workout: the Jets are not just choosing between three legs, they are weighing a proven veteran against two younger options with cleaner recent logs. Badgley kicked in seven games for the Colts and two for the Bills last season, while Karty made 79.6 percent of his field-goal tries and 88.7 percent of his extra points across 25 career games with the Rams before Los Angeles cut him after eight games last season.
What the Jets do next is the part that matters most. They can sign one of the three, keep looking, or wait until they decide which profile fits best, but Wednesday's workout already told the story: this is no longer a theoretical search, and Tucker is still in the middle of it.
