Jason Sanders is the longest-serving player on the Miami Dolphins, but he has not been able to take the field at all in the 2025 season.
Sanders, a 2018 seventh-round (229th overall) pick for the Dolphins and a one-time All-Pro, has been sidelined for the entire season so far. What is also concerning is that there has been very little news on his status, with the latest coming over a month ago.
The hip injury was originally expected to have been cleared up earlier in the season, with the Dolphins originally elevating Riley Patterson from the practice squad for the first three games of the season.
With the 30-year-old still not ready to return, Patterson was signed to the active roster and has been the team’s kicker through all of 2025. But what will the Dolphins do if/when Sanders returns from his injury? Be it this season or beyond.
Jason Sanders Return?
What seems logical on paper is that the Miami Dolphins could simply welcome Sanders back into the fold once he has demonstrated he is fully healthy.
Sanders has been a consistent performer for the team since taking the job in 2018, earning a First-team All-Pro nod in 2020 as that season’s co-leader in points alongside then-Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo.
Bringing Sanders back would maintain consistency for head coach Mike McDaniel, who has worked with him since 2022, and would mean the team would not have to consider alternative options that may not perform at the level required.
The big question mark, however, is how well Sanders will perform once he does return.
A hip injury is quite a concern and an inconvenience for a kicker, as it can affect their mobility and general form when taking kicks. If Sanders returns and finds it difficult to replicate his career form, it may be that the Dolphins have to move on.
Riley Patterson Impressed Enough?
Should the Dolphins decide that Sanders isn’t the player he once was, they have a prime candidate to consider in Riley Patterson.
Patterson has put in some positive performances for the Dolphins, the seventh team of his career since joining the Detroit Lions back in 2021, and more of the same could be enough for the team to view him as a potential stopgap in 2026.
He might not be the long-term solution, with a number of his statistical categories falling short of Sanders’ 2024 showing, especially in field goals made (89.5% to 90.2%) and touchback percentage on kick-offs (13.7% to 76.7%), but he has been consistent enough to warrant an opportunity next year.
The Dolphins aren’t heading for a full rebuild in 2026, but 2027 remains an unknown until the team performs next year, and a rebuild could still be on the cards if things do not improve from this year.
That could see the Dolphins look to make sweeping changes, even at the kicker position, and a younger, potentially drafted player or undrafted free agent in 2027 could be given a serious look.
Time for a New Direction?
If the Dolphins go wholesale with a rebuild in 2027, then bringing in a young kicker ready to impress out of college would seem to be the logical move to make.
Sanders came in and established himself over the past seven seasons; perhaps the team’s future would be someone currently kicking in college right now.
Someone such as Indiana Hoosiers’ Nicolas Radicic would be worth considering in the 2027 Draft. Radicic has made 100% of all field goals and 100% of all extra points this season, with a longest field goal of 46 yards, racking up 101 points for his team.
He’s still only a sophomore, so another year in college would give the team more time to scout and judge his NFL caliber, but he could be one of many potential young kickers who could be the long-term replacement for Sanders.
It’s a difficult decision for the Miami Dolphins to make, but something will have to be done whenever Sanders is able to return. It would be better for the team to consider their options earlier rather than later to be best prepared for all eventualities.
The post What Should Miami Dolphins Do When Jason Sanders Is Healthy? appeared first on Last Word on NFL.