Jason

Sanders

He’s expected to be elevated and kick for the Dolphins in Week 1 against the Colts. As long as Patterson doesn’t leave points off the field, he should have a chance to replace Jason Sanders throughout his entire IR stint. Sanders is expected back in 4-5 weeks.

As expected, he’ll miss the next four games. Adam Schefter said yesterday that his timeline to return was “4-5 weeks” and the Dolphins worked out a few kickers and are expected to sign a new one sometime in the next few days.

“Surgery isn’t necessary, but time is,” McDaniel said. This likely will wind up with Sanders being placed on IR and the Dolphins bringing in a kicker after last cuts. Don’t go drafting Sanders this week for your kicker spot. ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes Sanders will be sidelined 4-5 weeks.

Sanders was inked to a five-year, $22 million extension in the 2021 offseason. The restructure frees up $1.3 million in cap space for Miami. It will give them some extra wiggle room to make in-season moves.

Fantasy football’s No. 2 kicker in 2020 is cashing in on a profoundly efficient season in which he made 36 of 39 field goal attempts, banging through all 36 of his extra point tries. He established himself as one of the league’s big-footed kickers by nailing eight of nine kickers over 50 yards. Sanders’ extension includes a $10 million guarantee. His 2020 numbers stand in stark contrast to his 2019 stats, which include seven missed field goals on 30 attempts. Only the Cowboys and Falcons attempted more field goals than Miami in 2020, giving Sanders the opportunity necessary to become a waiver wire darling in fantasy. Sanders will probably be one of the most over-drafted kickers in fantasy football next season.

Sanders is entering the final season of his rookie contract after being selected in the seventh round of 2018. Last year, Sanders connected on 36-of-39 field goal attempts and made all 36 extra points. Those are career-best numbers. Spending up on kickers coming off career years is typically a bad move, particularly in a cap-condensed season.

Even considering his position, Sanders (5'11/185) is a complete unknown amongst draft prospects. Sanders attempted just 35 field goals in three years, missing a concerning 10 of them. He was 10-of-15 as a senior. He must have a big leg. Any time a draft pick is used on a kicker, even a seventh-rounder, there’s a good chance they make the 53-man roster.

The Dolphins cut UDFA Greg Joseph on Friday, leaving Sanders alone on the depth chart. Sanders always had the big edge since the team used a draft pick on him. Sanders will be kicking for one of the league’s worst teams.