If there was any question of whether kicker Greg Zuerlein was fully recovered from the groin injury that kept him out of the Week 2 game in Dallas, the grizzled veteran answered it in Week 5 against Denver. Zuerlein accounted for 17 points in the New York Jets’ 31-21 road win over the Broncos. As a result of his performance, the Jets’ kicker earned the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award as announced by the league on Wednesday.
He is the third Jet to capture an NFL-issued weekly honor this season. Safety Jordan Whitehead (Defensive) and returner Xavier Gipson (Special Teams) achieved the feat after the Week 1 win over Buffalo. The former intercepted Josh Allen three times while the latter ended the game with a walkoff punt return touchdown in overtime. Connecting on at least five three-pointers for the fourth time in his career, the 35-year-old Zuerlein went 5-of-5 on field goal attempts and made both PATs against the Broncos in Week 5. He capped three straight second-half scoring drives with field goals. In all, he hit from 30, 26, 27, 22 and 49 yards.
The weekly award winner, who also earned a Jets Country Victory Monday Game Ball for his latest effort, has connected on 10 of 11 three-point attempts over four games thus far this season. His 10 makes are tied for seventh place in the NFL through five weeks. Zuerlein has seemed locked in since training camp. He nailed two 52+ yard kicks in the Hall of Fame Game on August 3.
“Knowing that he’s got the ability to give, you know when we say three, we feel really good about getting three,” said head coach Robert Saleh after the preseason opener. The Jets re-signed Zuerlein to a one-year contract this past March after he proved to be both reliable and efficient in 2022, his first season with Gang Green. The 2012 sixth-round draft pick made 30 of 37 field goal attempts, including a franchise record 60-yarder in Minnesota.
