The Jets have added a pair of new kickers, one of whom will be thrust into a must-win game Thursday night.
Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader were signed to the Jets’ practice squad on Wednesday, and one of them will replace Greg Zuerlein — now on injured reserve — for a Week 9 showdown with the Texans at MetLife Stadium.
Patterson and Shrader were among six kickers who worked out for the Jets on Tuesday, along with Zane Gonzalez, Brayden Narveson, Andre Szmyt and Cade York.
Patterson, 25, was with the Commanders during training camp but was released in August. He made 15 of 17 field-goal attempts in 13 games for the Lions last year and also went 1-for-1 across two appearances for the Browns.
Shrader, 25, signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame earlier this year and went 3-for-3 on extra points in a loss to the Texans on Sept. 8. He was released two weeks ago.
Zuerlein, who made 35 of 38 field-goal attempts for the Jets in 2023, is having a brutal season, having made just 9 of 15 field-goal attempts; his six missed field goals are the most in the NFL.
The 36-year-old missed a 44-yarder in the fourth quarter during Sunday’s 25-22 loss to the Patriots in Foxborough and he also missed an extra point.
Zuerlein received a two-year, $8.4 million contract in March.
