After going through a kicking carousel throughout the preseason, the Jets claimed Kaare Vedvik off waivers from the Vikings on Sunday.
In the wake of Chandler Catanzaro’s retirement and Taylor Bertolet’s struggles, the Jets ended up with a kicker they’ve sought for two straight offseasons without having to give up any compensation. In Vedvik, the Jets get a young kicker with a strong leg that also has the ability to punt if need be.
Let’s get to know the Jets’ newest kicker.
Norway native
Vedvik was born in Stavanger, Norway.
He came to the United States as an exchange student in his junior year of high school. He was hoping to play wide receiver, but coaches at McPherson (Kansas) High School convinced him to try kicking because of his experience with soccer.
Collegiate record
Vedvik’s kicking career at Marshall University didn’t exactly get off to a great start.
During his redshirt freshman season, Vedvik led the nation with eight kickoffs that went out of bounds. The coaching staff had him pick up punting, and he did not play at all during his redshirt sophomore season.
In 2017, he was named first-team All-Conference USA as a punter after punting 59 times for 2,597 yards. His career at Marshall included a 92-yard punt, the seventh-longest punt in FBS history and longest by a punter in the FBS (formerly Division I-A) in 45 years.
Assault before 2018 season
Vedvik kicked extremely well in last year’s preseason, going 8-for-9 on his field goal attempts. Still, he wasn’t going to unseat Justin Tucker and was a prime candidate to get traded.
Then tragedy struck in the early-morning hours on Sept. 1, 2018. Vedvik was brutally assaulted. He suffered head and facial injuries, and some teeth were knocked out. Vedvik was rushed to Maryland Shock Trauma Center and spent the next five days in the hospital.
The Ravens placed Vedvik on the reserve/non-football injury list, which ended his 2018 campaign.
Short stint in Minnesota
The Minnesota Vikings were not in desperate need of a kicker. They have Dan Bailey, their incumbent starter, who is one of the most successful kickers in NFL history.
Still, the Vikings traded a 2020 fifth-round pick in exchange for Vedvik just a few weeks ago. They overpaid to pry Vedvik away from teams like the Bears and the Jets, so it came as a surprise when Minnesota waived Vedvik and announced Bailey as its starting kicker this weekend.
The Vikings ultimately ended up parting with Vedvik during final roster cuts thanks to three missed field goals during the preseason.
