The New York Giants' search for stability at the kicker position may have taken an unexpected turn, as one Giants insider has suggested the team could prefer an undrafted rookie free agent from the Michigan Wolverines.

According to the Athletic’s Giants insider Charlotte Carroll, Michigan's Dominic Zvada is predicted to be the frontrunner in the kicker position under new head coach John Harbaugh.

"Veteran Jason Sanders was the presumed favorite going into the spring, but he went 7-of-11 on field goals in open practices this spring and was released," Carroll wrote on June 19. "That leaves undrafted free agent Dominic Zvada and second-year player Ben Sauls, who finished last season as the Giants’ kicker, going 8-for-8 on his field-goal attempts."

The Giants released Jason Sanders within three months of signing the veteran kicker, as he did not meet the expectations of the franchise during the OTAs, having missed multiple long-distance kicks.

The team released him to make space in the roster for wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

The kicker room has two young but less proven talents: Pittsburgh Panthers' Ben Sauls and Dominic Zvada, who will be competing for the starting kicker role ahead of the 2026 season.

"Despite Sauls’ impressive debut, Zvada appears to be the frontrunner," Carroll further wrote in the Athletic Report. "Sauls made only 19 of his 36 field goals this spring in open practices. Meanwhile, Zvada made 13-of-13 field goals at minicamp.”

Sauls recorded 8 for 8 on his field goal attempts with the Giants in the 2025 season. Zvada recorded 72 of 87 goals attempted, with a 82.8% of field goals made during his four collegiate football years, two years each with Arkansas State and Michigan.

With Zvada projected to be a preferred option at kicker, there are speculations that a veteran addition could be made before the training camp, to increase the competition at the kicker spot.

Kicker Battle Could Intensify Before Training Camp

According to Andrew Buller-Russ of SportsNaut, the veteran free agent market is thin at kicker, but Younghoe Koo, Matt Prater, and Austin Seibert remain as potential veteran options to add before training camp.

"Koo spent six games with the Giants last year. He was released after making just 4-of-6 FG attempts," Buller-Russ wrote. "Prater turns 42 in August, but he appeared in 15 games with the Bills in 2025, making 18-of-20 FG attempts. Seibert, 29, hasn’t been on a team since 2024, when he made 27-of-30 FG attempts with the Commanders"

Koo was released as soon as the Giants signed Sanders for a one-year deal, who was also waived off recently, before signing with the New York Jets.

Until a clear starter emerges, the possibility of a veteran addition remains firmly in play for the Giants as they are searching for consistent production and stability at the kicker position.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote