Riley

Patterson

With the signing of Carlson comes the release of veteran Riley Patterson, who kicked for the Jets in their Week 9 win over the Texans. Carlson, who has kicked in two games for the 49ers this season, has gone 5-for-5 on his fields goals and 3-for-4 on his extra points, with three of his field goals coming from 40-plus yards out. The Jets are still hoping to have Greg Zuerlein (knee) back at some point in the season, but it looks like it will be Carlson kicking in Week 10 against the Cardinals.

Patterson, a four-year veteran of the league, was considered the favorite to have the first crack at the Jets’ kicking job after signing with the team earlier this week. Patterson has converted on 59-of-67 field goal attempts in his career and is 93-of-97 on his extra point attempts.

A knee injury may have been to blame for Zuerlein’s recent struggles, as the veteran kicker has converted on just three of his last seven field goal attempts. Now on injured reserve, Zuerlein will miss at least the next four games while recovering from his injury and won’t be eligible to come off IR until Week 14 when the Jets visit the Dolphins. The Jets signed kickers Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader to their practice squad earlier this week, with the expectation that one of them will kick in place for Zuerlein in Thursday night’s game against the Texans.

The Jets inked Patterson and K Spencer Shrader to the team’s practice squad. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said one of the two kickers will start for New York Thursday night against the Texans while Greg Zuerlein — who has missed six of his 15 field goal attempts this season — deals with a sudden knee injury. A good showing from Patterson or Shrader could spell the end for Zuerlein’s run in New York.

The Giants are going to be without Graham Gano for a few weeks, so the team needs a short-term fill-in. Bullock served as a replacement for the Giants last year, so it would seem he would have a leg up — pun kind of intended — for the gig.

The release of Patterson comes shortly after the Commanders traded for former Browns kicker Cade York. In the two games he played, Patterson struggled in camp and the preseason, converting on just 2-of-5 field goal attempts. Since joining the Lions in May of last season, Patterson has bounced around four different teams. He’ll likely catch on with another kicker-needy team at some point in the season.

York will have a chance to compete with Riley Patterson for the Commanders’ kicker job after Patterson has struggled in camp and his two preseason games. York didn’t kick in a regular season game last year, and was 24-for-32 on his attempts in 2022. York has converted on both field goals he’s attempted this preseason, including one from 55 yards out. We’ll see where the Washington kicker battle goes from here, but York will undoubtedly put the heat on Patterson before the season.

Patterson was in a kicking competition with Ramiz Ahmed prior to Ahmed’s release late in the week. For now, he remains the only kicker on Washington’s roster, but his performance on Saturday didn’t do him any favors. Patterson missed a 49-yard field goal on the Commanders’ opening drive and then shanked a 43-yard attempt on the Commanders’ third drive. He converted on attempts from 46 to 38 yards, but fantasy managers needing a kicker should fade this recognizable name in drafts. Even if Patterson makes the initial 53-man roster, it’s possible the Commanders will replace him with a more capable kicker who falls victim to camp cuts shortly after rosters are cut down.

The team also signed wide receiver Byron Pringle. Washington released fellow receivers Dax Milne and Damiere Byrd in a pair of corresponding moves. Patterson kicked for the Browns and Lions last year, connecting on 16-of-18 field goal tries and 41-of-44 extra point attempts. He signed with the Jaguars in the offseason but was waived earlier this week. Patterson will compete with Ramiz Ahmed for the kicking job in Washington during training camp.

That leaves rookie sixth rounder Cam Little as the last remaining kicker on the roster in Jacksonville. Although it is possible the team may bring in veteran competition prior to the start of the season, it looks to be all systems go for the first-year kicker. Patterson has converted 59-of-67 field goal attempts for an 88.1 percent conversion rate through three professional seasons and could get a look with another franchise in 2024.