The Miami Dolphins are already dealing with multiple health concerns ahead of the 2025 NFL season, with kicker Jason Sanders the latest to join the injury report. After he missed the team's final preseason game with an unspecified issue, head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that Sanders would miss some time to begin the year.
McDaniel said that Sanders “isn't anticipated to be available” to begin the regular season, according to Sun Sentinel reporter David Furones. The coach noted that Sanders will not require surgery, but the team will need to sign another kicker in the interim, per Furones.
The Dolphins currently do not have another kicker on their roster. They used punter Jake Bailey as their de facto kicker in the final preseason outing. Bailey missed his lone field goal attempt, and Miami did not attempt an extra point.
With the Dolphins' final roster due at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, McDaniel did not address whether Sanders' absence would require a stint on injured reserve or not. Considering the team does not seem to have a clear understanding of the severity of the injury, guaranteeing Sanders' absence through Week 4 would give him ample time to recover while allowing Miami to retain an extra roster spot.
McDaniel's comments are a complete 180 from what he initially said about his kicker's preseason absence. When the team confirmed that Sanders would miss the final exhibition against the Jacksonville Jaguars, McDaniel said he did not believe the issue would linger into Week 1.
Dolphins' kicker options amid Jason Sanders injury
The Dolphins will have no shortage of options in the kicker free agency market as they seek Sanders' temporary replacement. Eddy Pineiro, Matt Prater, Austin Seibert, Cade York and Zane Gonzalez headline the list of best kickers still searching for their next opportunity.
Pineiro is arguably the most intriguing option, with the third-highest career field goal accuracy in NFL history. He briefly was the league's most accurate kicker of all time during Justin Tucker's midseason lull, but relinquished the title shortly after. Tucker is also available on the market if the Dolphins wish to open that can of worms.
Sanders, who made 90.2 percent of his field goals in 2024, has never previously missed a game in his seven-year career. His mystery injury is severe enough to take notice of, but he is not the type of player whom the Dolphins should be worried about.
