The Jets recently signed former ELF kicker Lenny Krieg to a futures deal. Let’s therefore look at Krieg in more detail.
The 23-year old Krieg is listed at 6’1″ and 211 pounds and is a member of the International Pathway Program having established himself as one of the best young kickers in Europe in recent years.
Background
Krieg, who is of Nigerian descent, mostly played soccer when he was young, but decided to learn to be an NFL placekicker during the pandemic after his brother returned from being at college at Wisconsin.
In 2021, he joined the under-19 team for the German Football League’s Berlin Adler, and then moved up to their senior team for the 2022 season.
After performing well, and earning the team’s rookie of the year award, Krieg earned a contract with the European League of Football’s Stuttgart Surge and made 8-of-10 field goals. His role increased the following year, as he led the league in scoring with 99 points and was named as a first team all-star and a nominee for the special teams player of the year award.
Having joined the International Pathway Program, Krieg attended the scouting combine where his impressive workout earned him a contract from the Atlanta Falcons. He attended training camp with them in 2025, and made one of two field goals in preseason.
After being released in final cuts and retained on the practice squad, Krieg was not signed to a futures deal at the end of the season by Atlanta, so the Jets signed him to one instead.
Now let’s break Krieg down in a variety of categories, based on in-depth research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
Krieg has decent size but didn’t do any athletic workouts for teams, stating that he was more focused on his consistency in terms of his kicking approach and favored the kicker position because it was safer than playing on defense or offense.
Leg Strength
Krieg has developed a big leg with one report suggesting he has made a 73-yard field goal in practice. There is film online of him making a 63-yarder.
He showcased this in real game action when he made an impressive 57-yarder in preseason action with the Falcons.
In his first season with the Surge, his longest field goal was just 41 yards. He was 1-for-3 from beyond 50 yards with a long of 52 in the following season.
Accuracy
Krieg’s accuracy is something that needs improvement. He reportedly made 30 of 31 kicks at the under-19 level but since then his record has been spotty.
While his field goal percentage with the Surge was 73 percent, he also missed a total of 25 extra points across the two seasons.
However, at the combine, he showed growth in this area as he nailed all 14 of his kicks, the longest of which were from 55 yards.
He hooked this 53-yarder wide in preseason action. though.
Clutch
Krieg hasn’t really been tested much in clutch situations at the professional level. He has never made a game winner but he did attempt a 55-yarder which would have tied a game in the last minute while with the Surge. The kick was blocked.
Tackling
As noted, Krieg wasn’t really keen on the physicality of being a position player. However, he did have three tackles in two seasons with the Surge.
Intangibles/Miscellaneous
Krieg has also kicked off during his career and had a touchback rate of almost 50 percent at the under-19 level. He also once recovered his own onside kick attempt. At the NFL level, he kicked off nine times in preseason action with two touchbacks.
He has also punted at times. With the Surge in 2023, he just had one punt; a 48 yarder that was a touchback. However in 2024, he punted 27 times with five 50-yarders including a long of 71. His average was just 33.7 yards with five touchbacks, though, so he would probably be nothing more than an emergency option at the NFL level.
Krieg completed a 13-yard pass for a first down on a fake in 2024 but was also stopped for a seven-yard loss on a run. He had this fake field goal touchdown run at the under-19 level.
Conclusions
Nick Folk was superb last year but he is out of contract and it’s not clear whether he’s going to be back yet. If he isn’t then Krieg would be the only kicker on the roster.
The Jets aren’t just going to hand the job to someone with hardly any experience, so they will inevitably bring in someone to compete if Folk isn’t back.
In either case, the most likely situation for Krieg in the near future is that he will be developed over the course of next season if he shows promise with a view to seriously competing for the job the following year. The roster and practice squad exemptions from International Pathway Program players could be useful here.
