In m opinion, one of the unsung heroes of the Miami Dolphins is their kicker, Jason Sanders. Despite facing heavy criticism from the fanbase, he has repeatedly kicked his way to victories for this team and is statistically, the most accurate kicker the Dolphins have ever had.
Now, I know I may be a bit partial since we both graduated from the same college—the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM, which also happens to be the same college Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher went to — but I believe we might need to start putting more respect on this man’s name.
Sanders is nearly perfect on extra points, boasting an impressive 97.3% conversion rate for his career. He’s also nearly flawless when it comes to field goals under 40 yards, having missed only 4 of 93 attempts! While his performance on long-field goals (50+ yards) has been slightly more inconsistent, there’s been a noticeable improvement in recent years. In 2023, he made 5 of 7 kicks from over 50 yards, and so far in 2024, he’s 7-9 in that category.
One of his most impressive performances came in December 2023, when he silenced his critics by making three field goals over 50 yards in one game, including two others to help secure a win over the Dallas Cowboys. This was a huge redemption moment for Sanders, especially after he struggled with 50+ yard attempts during the 2021-22 seasons, where he went 2-6 in both years.
Some have speculated that issues with the placement or holding of the football might have been factors in his decline during that time. Regardless, Sanders has seemed to turn things around and has been a consistent bright spot on a special teams unit that has often underperformed, especially these most recent years under Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman.
Given all of this, I think Dolphin fans need to give Sanders a little more credit. He has consistently been clutch on manageable field goals and virtually perfect on extra points, and if he keeps up this level of play, I seriously think we need to look at extending him.
