Jets sign 'The Thiccer Kicker' Harrison Mevis and release veteran Anders Carlson
FILE - Missouri place kicker Harrison Mevis (92) kicks the extra point after a touchdown against Ohio State at the Cotton Bowl NCAA college football game, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez, File)
The New York Jets signed United Football League standout kicker Harrison Mevis and released veteran kicker Anders Carlson on Wednesday.
Mevis, who earned the popular nickname 'The Thiccer Kicker' for his 5-foot-11, 243-pound frame, was 20 of 21 on field goal attempts for the Birmingham Stallions this season. He's also Missouri's career scoring leader with 405 points and holds the school mark with 86 field goals.
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The 23-year-old Mevis will compete with rookie Caden Davis for the kicking job in training camp. The Jets' special teams unit has been revamped under new coach Aaron Glenn and coordinator Chris Banjo.
Veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter Thomas Morstead were both released during the offseason. With Carlson's departure, New York has no kickers or punters — including Kai Kroeger and Austin McNamara — who have played in a regular-season game.
Mevis, a freshman All-American in 2020 and first-team All-American in 2021, booted a game-winning 61-yard field goal for Missouri against Kansas State in 2023, to set the SEC record for longest kick.
The Warsaw, Indiana, native was signed by Carolina as an undrafted free agent in May 2024 and waived by the Panthers during training camp last summer. Mevis signed with Birmingham last December.
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Carlson went 8 for 10 on field goals in five games last season for the Jets while filling in for an injured Zuerlein. He was also 9 of 11 on extra points. Carlson, a sixth-round pick in 2023 by Green Bay, has also kicked for the Packers and San Francisco 49ers.
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