Jets cut kicker Cairo Santos and bring in two others to compete with Taylor Bertolet
Cairo Santos of the New York Jets follows through on a kick as teammate Lachlan Edwards holds for him during practice on July 29, 2018. Credit: James Escher
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – The Jets cut kicker Cairo Santos, who hasn’t been healthy throughout training camp.
Coach Todd Bowles said Santos wouldn’t be kicking in Friday’s preseason game against the Giants so they made the decision to move forward and begin looking at other kickers.
Undrafted rookie Taylor Bertolet has been doing the kicking. But the Jets claimed Jason Myers off waivers from the Seahawks and were expected to bring in former Vikings kicker Kai Forbath for a workout.
“Bertolet has been doing a good job, but we want to talk a look at two more guys because he’s been the only one kicking,” Bowles said following practice Wednesday. “We want to see him compared to somebody else so we brought two guys in.”
Bowles said Myers would get “some kicks in” in the Giants’ game so they can evaluate him.
The Jets signed Santos, who converted 90 of 107 field goals in four years with the Chiefs and Bears, in March, hoping he would be their kicker this year.
“You can’t control a person’s health and their destiny and everything going forward,” Bowles said. “At some point in time you have to make a decision as a team to move forward. That’s what we did.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
