Dolphins Potential Kicker Options Following Sanders Injury

Sanders’ injury comes at a tough time for the Dolphins since the team is currently working through cutting its roster from 90 to 53 players and will now have to find room for another kicker. 

Sanders hasn’t missed a game since he was selected in the seventh round out of New Mexico in the 2018 NFL draft. He also had a great 2024 season. Sanders had an overall make percentage of 90.2 — the second highest of his career — and hit a career high 12 of 14 attempts from beyond 50 yards. 

The one bright side is that some kickers are released across the NFL this time of the year because teams with preseason kicker battles have to make their choice. 

McDaniel said the team will hold tryouts soon, so let’s look at some potential options. 

Current Free Agent Options 

This section is reserved for kickers who have been free agents for a bit — not players who are expected to get cut in the next 24 hours. 

This group does include a few notable names, including 41-year-old Matt Prater, but he only appeared in four games last season after landing on injured reserve in October. 

The remaining names on this list include Cade York (Bengals), Eddy Piñeiro (Panthers), Zane Gonzalez (Commanders), Austin Seibert (Commanders), and Mike Badgley (Lions). 

Of those options, Piñeiro and Seibert stand out the most since they actually kicked a decent amount last season. 

In 17 games with the Panthers last season, Piñeiro made 22 of 26 attempts, including seven out of 10 from more than 40 yards. Seibert ended last season on injured reserve, but he did hit 27 of his 30 field goal attempts with the Commanders last year. 

There’s a reason these kickers didn’t land in a camp, but it couldn’t hurt to bring some of them in on tryouts. 

Potential Kickers Who Lost Camp Battles 

This group is reserved for kickers who participated in a legitimate kicking battle this offseason but aren’t expected to win. 

This brings us back to the Panthers, who are reportedly releasing kicker Matthew Wright and rolling with UDFA Ryan Fitzgerald after a close camp battle. Wright kicked for three different teams last season but made 15 of his 16 attempts. 

Another option on the waiver wire could be Ben Sauls. The 2025 UDFA spent the preseason with the Steelers despite having zero chance of unseating Chris Boswell. 

NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero is reporting the Steelers want to trade him, so Miami could go down that avenue if it’s worried about him not making it through waivers. Sauls made all four of his kicks in the team’s preseason game against the Panthers.

Another battle worth paying attention to is one inside the AFC East. The Patriots are holding a competition between John Parker Romo and rookie sixth-round pick Andres Borregales. 

Parker Romo made 11 of his 12 attempts in four games with the Vikings last season, and Borregales is a local product from the University of Miami who made 74 of his 86 career attempts with the Hurricanes. 

There’s a good chance one or two other notable names could shake loose in the coming days, so don’t be surprised if the Dolphins have a few decent options.