Kicking Battle Clearing Up

Another team, another competition.

Such is life for an NFL kicker this time of year, and so it goes for Jason Myers, who the Jets claimed off of waivers from the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old former standout at Marist was available because he’d lost out to veteran Sebastian Janikowski in Seattle, but became the clear favorite to win the job in East Rutherford after the Jets let go of injured veteran Cairo Santos and rookie Taylor Bertolet missed the only kick he attempted, a longer-than-usual extra point after a penalty negated one he made, on Friday night.

“I got in on Wednesday morning and got some work in on the side, but (holder and punter) Lachlan (Edwards) and (long snapper) Thomas (Hennessy), they make it easy,” said Myers, who kicked for the Jaguars from 2015-17.

“They’re good at what they do, and they made it easy on me. So, it was pretty easy to get settled and get the rhythm down.”

Thrust right into another battle for a job, Myers connected on both of his kicks, a 20-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter that made it a one-score game, and the extra point after Pryor’s touchdown catch.

“That’s how it is, if you want a job in the NFL,” Myers said. “I’m comfortable competing against anybody, whether it’s Taylor or Janikowski, but in the end it’s what you do as a kicker yourself. Taylor’s a great kicker, he was kicking well in camp. Whatever opportunities I get, I’ve just got to take advantage of them.”