The Miami Dolphins underwent a major shakeup after naming Jon-Eric Sullivan their new general manager. Much of the team was quickly gutted, a necessary evil after back-to-back disappointing seasons. While players like Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill gobbled up all the headlines, another casualty went quietly under the radar.
Kicker Jason Sanders had been the longest-tenured Dolphin at the time of his release. Originally a seventh-round pick out of the University of New Mexico in 2018, Sanders is one of only six players who spent enough time in Miami to play for Adam Gase, Brian Flores, and Mike McDaniel. The others are linebacker Jerome Baker, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, cornerback Xavien Howard, and tight ends Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe.
In March, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that Sanders (along with fullback Alec Ingold) refused when asked to take pay cuts by the new regime. This came after Sanders missed the entirety of the 2025 season with a preseason hip injury. They were both subsequently released in cost-cutting moves on March 6. Sanders didn't need to wait very long to find work, as he was scooped up by the New York Giants just five days later.
However, the Giants seem to have had a change of heart.
Former Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders is suddenly looking for his third team after Giants release.
Alas, the stop with the G-Men lasted less than three months. Despite the Giants guaranteeing $300,000 when they originally inked Sanders, he was released on June 2 after the team signed a trio of veteran wideouts, including two former Dolphins, Braxton Berrios and Odell Beckham Jr.
It's apparent that Sanders was at the very least in third (and last) place in New York's kicking competition between him, second-year man Ben Sauls, and undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada. Sanders will now have to find his next home at a time when most teams have solidified their rosters, especially at the kicker position.
The Dolphins opted to forge on with Sanders' injury replacement, Riley Patterson, who connected on 93.1% of his field goals for the Dolphins in 2025, as well as journeyman Zane Gonzalez, who kicked in nine games for the Falcons last year. Despite an 81% career field goal percentage, Gonzalez is known for his strong leg. It appears unlikely that Jon-Eric Sullivan would go back to the Sanders well at this time.
For each player who bets on themselves — some successfully so — there are players like Sanders who perhaps wish they could change a past decision. In any case, he represented one of the best Dolphins kickers of all time. Sanders' 84.6% career field goal percentage ranks first in Dolphins history among kickers with more than 100 attempts, while his 826 points rank third. He made an indelible mark in South Florida.
Here's to hoping it doesn't end like this for the 2020 1st Team All-Pro whom Dolphins fans will always have a soft spot for. Unless he joins an AFC East rival, then all bets are off.
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