Jets Training Camp – Kicking Competition Stumbles

The team was back on the field Monday (08/25/26) in Florham Park for another Jets training camp practice, with JetNation in attendance. The focus was less on a traditional practice script and more on specific game situations, including short yardage, goal line, red zone and two-minute work. There was also encouraging news on the injury front. Breece Hall, Kenyon Sadiq and D’Angelo Ponds were all working on the side field and looked good running and cutting. Aaron Glenn said afterward that the Jets are still targeting Week 1 for that group.

On the field, Joseph Ossai was the player who stood out the most, while the kicking competition had a rough day for both Cade York and Jason Sanders.

Jets Training Camp – General Notes

• Breece Hall, Kenyon Sadiq and D’Angelo Ponds were all working on the side field.
• Hall looked particularly good running, cutting and changing direction. From what we saw, he appeared to be moving very well.
• Kenyon Sadiq was also running and cutting while working with a coach. The Jets continue to be conservative with him, but he appears to be getting closer.
• D’Angelo Ponds was jogging the length of the field at a good pace and also appears to be progressing toward a return.
• Mory Bamba continued his rehab work. He was jogging while wearing a brace on his knee. It was encouraging to see him moving, although his workload appeared to be behind Hall, Sadiq and Ponds.
• Glenn said after practice that the Jets are still targeting Week 1 for Hall, Sadiq and Ponds.
• Qwan’tez Stiggers was back on the field on a limited basis.
• T’Vondre Sweat was a full participant.

Situational Football

Aaron Glenn summed up the purpose of Monday’s practice pretty well afterward. The Jets wanted to work situations. That included short yardage, goal line, red-zone work and eventually a two-minute drill to close things out.

The situational emphasis also resulted in some different personnel packages, with Andrew Beck getting extensive work. Beck was used as a blocker, received rushing attempts and was involved in the passing game. During the first 11-on-11 period, Beck carried the ball on a short-yardage play. He was also targeted by Bailey Zappe with the second team. When the Jets moved into goal-line work, Geno Smith connected with Beck for a touchdown on the first play. The Jets clearly wanted to get a good look at what Beck can provide in different situations rather than simply using him as a traditional blocker.

Offense

• Geno Smith’s first-team offense had a mix of running and passing work during the situational periods.
• Geno rolled out and connected with Omar Cooper during 11-on-11 work.
• Andrew Beck was used on a short-yardage carry before later catching a touchdown from Geno during goal-line work.
• Kene Nwangwu broke a run to the outside for a nice gain and later scored a rushing touchdown during goal-line work.
• Braelon Allen made a nice gain on a screen to the left.
• Garrett Wilson was used on a reverse during one of the later team periods.
• Chip Trayanum scored during goal-line work, fighting through contact at the line to get into the end zone.
• Cade Klubnik later connected with Isaiah Williams for a touchdown after rolling to his right.

The offense had some productive moments, but Monday was much more about working through specific situations than evaluating the unit based on traditional drives.

Joseph Ossai Stands Out

Joseph Ossai was our player of the day. Ossai has looked good since returning to practice, and Monday was another strong showing. One of his best plays came during the later team period when Braelon Allen took the ball from around the 10-yard line. Ossai came flying off the edge and stopped Allen in the backfield for a loss. The combination of his burst and pursuit stood out. We’ve seen that same effort from Ossai since he returned to the field. He isn’t just creating pressure as a pass rusher; he’s chasing plays and making an impact against the run.

With the regular season getting closer, Ossai is making a strong case for a significant role in the edge rotation.

Defensive Notes

• David Bailey generated pressure during 11-on-11 work, forcing Geno to dump one pass incomplete.
• Bailey and Will McDonald were the edge combination during the two-minute period.
• Jamien Sherwood stopped Braelon Allen after a short gain during the later situational work.

The Jets continue to rotate players extensively along the defensive front, and getting Sweat back as a full participant gives Glenn even more options.

Kicking Competition

If either kicker had a chance to take control of this competition Monday, it didn’t happen.

Cade York went first and took all five of his attempts consecutively.

• Cade York: 3 of 5
• Made from 32, 47 and 52 yards
• Missed from 37 and 42 yards

Jason Sanders kicked later and had an opportunity to take advantage of York’s misses.

Instead, he had an even worse session.

• Jason Sanders: 2 of 5
• Made from 32 and 47 yards
• Missed from 37, 42 and 52 yards

The two kickers combined to make just five of 10 attempts.

York and Sanders have traded good days throughout training camp, but Monday didn’t provide much clarity. This late in camp, both kickers missing multiple attempts made the entire competition one of the more disappointing parts of practice.

Geno Smith Finishes Strong

The Jets closed practice with a two-minute drill, and Geno Smith gave the offense a strong finish. Glenn was particularly pleased with the way Geno operated the situation, saying afterward that Smith “did a hell of a job.”

That was important given the entire purpose of Monday’s practice. Rather than simply accumulating reps, Glenn wanted the Jets working through situations they’ll face once the regular season begins. The two-minute drill gave the starting offense an opportunity to finish the day doing exactly that.

Standouts

• Joseph Ossai
• Breece Hall’s progress on the side field
• Andrew Beck’s versatility

Final Thoughts

Joseph Ossai was the player who jumped out the most Monday. Since returning to practice, his speed and effort have been noticeable, and his play against Braelon Allen was one of the better defensive reps of the day.

The most encouraging development may have happened away from the main practice field. Breece Hall looked good running and changing direction, while Kenyon Sadiq and D’Angelo Ponds also appear to be making significant progress. Glenn continues to say the Jets are targeting Week 1 for all three.

The kicking competition provided considerably less reason for optimism. York and Sanders combined to go 5-of-10, and neither took advantage of an opportunity to separate himself.

Monday was ultimately about situations, though, and the Jets covered plenty of them. Short yardage, goal line, red zone and two-minute work dominated the practice, with Andrew Beck getting an extended look in several different roles and Geno Smith finishing the day on a positive note.