The New York Jets made their final roster moves in advance of Sunday’s game with the Buffalo Bills, and as expected they activated kicker Greg Zuerlein from injured reserve to the active roster.
With Anders Carlson still on the 53-man roster, it appears Zuerlein took the roster spot vacated by left tackle Olu Fashanu, who was placed on IR earlier this week.
The Jets’ only other moves was to elevate defensive lineman Bruce Hector from the practice squad to the active roster.
New York is giving the veteran kicker another shot after he struggled earlier this season before suffering an injury.
When he went on IR, Zuerlein had the worst field-goal percentage of any kicker in the NFL as he was 9-for-15 (60%), his worst since he went 66.7% in 2015.
His struggles prompted a kicking carousel that ultimately landed on Carlson, as Zuerlein admitted he was dealing with mechanical issues that were leading to misses on several important field goals and extra points.
This means the Jets will make decisions on their remaining players on the injury list on gameday, as New York only designated defensive lineman Leki Fotu (knee) as out of Friday.
Several New York players were designated as questionable, including wide receiver Davante Adams (hip), cornerback Michael Carter II (back), cornerback Sauce Gardner (hamstring), edge rusher Braiden McGregor (ankle), offensive tackle Morgan Moses (knee), safety Tony Adams (ankle), edge rusher Haason Reddick (neck), defensive lineman Quinnen Williams (hamstring) and Zuerlein.
Offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), offensive guard John Simpson (calf) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (knee) have no injury designation.
Hector will be there in Buffalo for depth in case Williams is unable to play. He has already played in four games, with three tackles on 67 snaps. He joined the Jets’ practice squad last December. He’s been in the NFL since 2018 and also did a stint with the Arlington Renegades in the XFL (now UFL).
Buffalo hasn’t designated anyone as out for Sunday’s game, but four players are questionable — safety Damar Hamlin (rib), cornerback Cam Lewis (shoulder), free safety Taylor Rapp (neck) and wide receiver Curtis Samuel (rib).