While the Bears’ kicker competition has been on public display since January, you could argue there are other teams that find themselves perhaps in a worst situation than the Bears.
One of those teams is the Jets, who were left scrambling after starting kicker Chandler Catanzaro unexpectedly retired, leaving Taylor Bertolet as the team’s lone placekicker.
The Jets, along with the Bears, were rumored to be interested in former Ravens kicker Kaare Vedvik, who was traded to the Vikings for a fifth-round draft pick. It appears as if both teams dodged a bullet, as Vedvik has struggled mightily since being traded to Minnesota.
The Jets held kicker tryouts on Saturday, and former Bears kicker Cody Parkey was one of two kickers in attendance.
Before Parkey’s double-doink missed field goal sent the Bears into early hibernation, he had his share of struggles in Chicago, missing seven of his 30 field goal attempts and three extra points in the regular season.
Koo, the other kicker at the tryout, had a tryout with the Bears back in April but wasn’t signed.
The Bears appeared set with Eddy Pineiro as their Week 1 starter. While there’s no guarantee he’ll be the long-term answer, the Bears appear comfortable with Pineiro as their kicker, at least right now.
