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And then there was one.
Jason Sanders had to survive a training camp competition against Cade York.
He had to watch the Jets bring in eight-time All-Pro Justin Tucker for a tryout. He had to recover from a shaky preseason and start out strong enough to hold off Blake Grupe, who was claimed off waivers after Sanders was released, then re-signed to the practice squad.
“It’s just part of the game,” Sanders said Thursday. “If you’re not making kicks, they’re gonna try and find someone that will.”
When the Rams signed Grupe off the Jets’ practice squad Tuesday, Sanders became Aaron Glenn’s only remaining option at kicker.
For now, no one else is needed.
After missing all of last season with a hip injury, the former Dolphins All-Pro has rediscovered his confidence, making eight of nine field goals and seven of eight extra-point attempts this season.
Sanders has made seven straight field goals since missing a 54-yarder in Tennessee in Week 1.
“It’s good to be back out there and prove myself again,” Sanders said. “You can feel if people believe in you or not. They definitely believe in me.”
Sanders signed with the Giants in March following eight years in Miami. But after being released in June, he joined the Jets, who had let Nick Folk walk in free agency.
Despite being the front-runner in training camp, Sanders put his job in jeopardy by struggling in practice and missing an extra point and a 54-yard field goal that fell well short in the preseason game against the Giants.
Less than two months later, Sanders drilled a season-best 54-yard field goal through the middle of the uprights — with room to spare — in the fourth quarter of the win over the Browns.
“When you’re practicing, it’s not the same as you getting live reps,” Sanders said. “It took a while, but I think I’m in a good spot here. I just feel better and more confident. I can feel the confidence growing. When you can be more confident and finally let go, the more the weeks go on, the more you get into a groove.”
There is no one left to compete against — except himself.
“The way he’s been going about it on a day-to-day basis, you kind of feel the confidence from him and that makes us confident too,” special teams coordinator Chris Banjo said. “To be honest, we’ve been confident from the moment he got in here. Guys are always working through something, but I think he’s in a good spot right now.
“Whenever we’ve sent him out there, we’ve felt really good about him putting points on the board and he’s been doing a great job of that.”