Josh

Lambo

Lambo began his career with two seasons in San Diego before finding a home in Jacksonville. He spent five years with the Jags and is currently sixth in scoring in the franchise’s history. Lambo closed his football career with a brief stint in Tennessee. Prior to playing in the NFL, Lambo spent four years in the MLS.

Lambo was signed to the practice squad on Tuesday after it was announced that Randy Bullock was dealing with a calf injury suffered during pregame warmups in Week 10. The former Jaguars kicker last played in 2021, missing all three of his field goal attempts. The 31-year-old has converted 87.1-percent of his field goals for his career and will draw the start with Bullock already ruled out.

You know this song and dance: Randy Bullock is dealing with a calf injury that makes him truly questionable for this week, and so the Titans shuffled the practice squad to add an elevation-eligible kicker. Lambo could possibly be Tennessee’s kicker against the Packers on Thursday night. He’s probably only a streamer you’d consider in deeper leagues.

The team also hosted Brian Johnson and Josh Lambo for workouts. Cairo Santos is questionable for personal reasons this week. He did not practice Thursday or Friday and the team is bracing for his absence. One of these three will likely be signed to the practice squad and elevated for Sunday.

Rodrigo Blankenship shanked a 42-yard field goal miles right late in the fourth quarter against the Texans and kicked two balls out of bounds on kickoffs. It was as disastrous an outing as a kicker could have. Head coach Frank Reich did not commit to Blankenship, who missed most of 2021 with a hip injury, after the game. Whoever kicks for the Colts should be fantasy viable this season.

Lambo filed a lawsuit against the Jaguars in May alleging “a pattern of retaliatory harassment and a hostile work environment” under former head coach Urban Meyer. Back in December, Lambo accused Meyer of kicking him last preseason and is seeking his entire $3.5 million salary in the lawsuit. In filing their motion to dismiss, the Jaguars allege Lambo “did not reply to a follow up after his agent reported Meyer’s kick” and said, “plaintiff’s case is predicated solely on the alleged criminal acts of Urban Meyer, not any policy, practice or activity of club.” Lambo remains a free agent at this time and has not kicked since Week 3 of last season -- when he went 0-for-3 on field goals and 5-for-7 on extra points. Prior to 2021, Lambo had converted on 88.9% of his field goal attempts and 16-of-21 on distances of 50+ yards.

Lambo is seeking his $3.5 million salary for 2021 and damages for emotional distress. He alleged that Meyer kicked him in the leg in December. Jaguars fans should also share in any emotional distress award after Meyer’s tire fire of a tenure. “Since Lambo reported the incident to the Jaguars’ legal counsel, his subsequent release violated Florida’s Private Sector Whistle Blower’s Act, the lawsuit claims.” The Jaguars will likely argue that any argument should be dealt with by the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, per Mike Florio.

Lambo says the incident occurred after he missed kicks in each of his first two preseason appearances. “I’m in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back,” Lambo said. “(Meyer), while I’m in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, ‘Hey (expletive), make your (expletive) kicks!’ And kicks me in the leg.” Lambo said he implored the former college coach to never "(expletive) kick me again!’” Meyer’s response was allegedly “‘I’m the head ball coach, I’ll kick you whenever the (expletive) I want.’” Meyer, naturally, has denied the allegation. “Josh’s characterization of me and this incident is completely inaccurate, and there are eyewitnesses to refute his account,” Meyer said. “(GM) Trent (Baalke) and I met with him on multiple occasions to encourage his performance, and this was never brought up. I was fully supportive of Josh during his time with the team and wish him nothing but the best.” Lambo also said he has witnesses, but that he did not want to involve them. We see no reason for Lambo to make the story up. No longer allowed to behave like a tyrant with unpaid college players, Meyer appears comically out of his depth in a league where he is coaching millionaire grown men.

Unceremoniously dispatched by Jacksonville last month, Lambo joins Pittsburgh after Chris Boswell -- who took a cheap shot from a Cleveland defender Sunday -- entered the NFL’s concussion protocol and will likely miss a game or two. Lambo had missed three field goals and two extra points in three games with the Jags this season before his October release. Once an elite NFL kicker, Lambo should have some waiver wire appeal with the Steelers, who have attempted 15 field goals this season (14th most).

The Jaguars had little choice but to cut ties with their kicker of five seasons. Lambo had whiffed on all three of his field goal attempts and two extra points this season. He was inactive in Week 5 against the Dolphins and backup kicker Matthew Wright drilled all three of his field goal tries, including a game-winning kick that temporarily relieved Urban Meyer’s suffering. Lambo was once among the league’s most accurate kickers, making 71 of his 75 field goal tries (94.6 percent) from 2017 to 2019. Wright shouldn’t be considered a reliable fantasy option on a Jacksonville team that generates almost no positive game script. Lambo, meanwhile, has a good shot of landing on another team as a fill-in kicker.