The New York Jets entered training camp and preseason with just one kicker on their roster. On Sunday morning, that kicker retired.
New York announced that Chandler Catanzaro has retired, just four months after he re-joined the club and three days after he missed two of three extra points in the Jets' preseason opener.
The Jets were quick to replace the 28-year-old placekicker. New York reportedly tried out former Chicago Bears booter Chris Blewitt and Taylor Bertolet on Saturday and signed the latter on Sunday to replace Catanzaro.
Catanzaro entered the pros out of Clemson in 2014 and spent three seasons with the Cardinals. He played 16 games with the Jets in 2017, when he hit 25 of 30 field goal attempts and all 29 of his extra point attempts. He returned to New York this offseason after spending 2018 in Carolina and Tampa Bay.
However, Cat Man was underwhelming in training camp, per Jets beat reporters, and his performance on Thursday night bore that out.
Last seen with the AAF's Salt Lake Stallion, Bertolet spent the 2018 preseason with the Jets before New York chose Jason Myers as its placekicker. Myers went on to have a stellar season, connecting on 91.7 percent on his FGs en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance. New York inexplicably opted not to re-sign Myers in the offseason, letting him walk to Seattle.
The Jets instead settled on Catanzaro, who is now settling down away from football.
