The Jets today have become the 12th NFL team to sign veteran kicker Billy Cundiff in as many years.
Cundiff, 33, replaces undrafted free agent rookie K Brett Maher, who was released, on the roster and will compete with incumbent K Nick Folk for a roster spot during training camp. The Jets' first full-squad camp practice will be held Friday at SUNY Cortland.
In his career, Cundiff has made 75.5% of his regular-season field goals, while Folk has connected on 77.9% of his kicks. They both have 56-yard field goals as their personal bests.
Cundiff has been flawless in his three career games against the Jets, making all four field goals and all seven extra points attempted. He also kicked seven of eight field goals in the Cowboys' 35-32 Monday night win over the Giants in the old Meadowlands stadium in 2003. He was chosen as a Pro Bowler with Baltimore in 2010.
Although he has made 12 of 14 postseason field goal attempts, Cundiff is infamous for one of his two misses. Playing in the AFC Championship Game in the 2011 season at New England as a member of the Ravens, he lined up for a 32-yard field goal to tie the game with 11 seconds remaining. He missed and the Patriots won, 23-20, to advance to the Super Bowl.
Last offseason, the Jets made a similar move when they brought in another veteran, Josh Brown, to push Folk for the kicking job. The battle lasted until just before the final preseason game when Brown was released and Folk was declared the winner. Folk went on to hit his first 11 field goal tries of the season for the second straight year and finish 21-of-27 (77.8%) for the most accurate of his three seasons with the Jets.
