Who is the Thiccer Kicker and which NFL team just signed him?

The thiccer the better? That’s what the New York Jets will be hoping after signing Harrison Mevis for the upcoming season. The Jets had plenty of problems last year, but their kicking game was just about on par with the rest of the team in a season they went 5-12.

Let him cook

It’s a new day in New York and the Jets are looking towards the future with a new coach and new quarterback and potentially a new kicker. Harrison Mevis was signed by the Jets, and will be fighting for a roster spot. He is gunning for the starting kicker gig at MetLife Stadium but if that should fail he might have a chance as a back up offensive lineman.

At six feet flat an 242 pounds, Mevis is a unit. It has earned him the nickname the “Thiccer Kicker” and he seems to be embracing it. He may have a title that is worth of a Barnum and Bailey’s act, but he is no freak show. Mevis was one of the top kickers in the UFL during the 2025 season that just wrapped up. He went 20/21 this past season and his longest field goal was 54 yards.

Let’s be honest, does it really matter what your kicker looks like? As long as they can come out and swing that hammer, sending the pig skin through the uprights, then let him cook and let him eat. Kickers don’t really participate in NFL practices anyway. They take their few kicks per day, maybe go through a trick play or two and call it a day.

Janikowski the first of his kind

Think back to one of the best field goal kickers the NFL has ever seen. Sebastian Janikowski was a big boy at 6’1” weighing about 260 in his playing days. That didn’t stop him from getting drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the 17th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. He hit 80.4% of his field goals through his 18 year career and tied the then record long, 63 yard field goal.

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The Jets were a mess last year and their kicking game was no exception. They had five different kickers come in and try to keep the job, but no one was able to. Greg Zuerlein was the starting kicker for most the the year, but he went just 9/15 in eight games. Anders Carlson hit 8/10 field goals last season, but he was waived to make room for Mevis. Spencer Shraer, Greg Joseph and Riley Patterson all played for the Jets last season, but they would combine to hit 20 of 28, or whopping 71.4% of the field goals.

This will be the second chance Mevis has to make an NFL roster. After hitting 89 of his 106 field goals at the University of Missouri, he was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent. He was beaten out by Eddie Pineiro last year, but he now has a golden chance to earn a spot on an NFL roster.