Ben Sauls was signed to the New York Giants’ practice squad last month amid their ongoing struggles at the kicker position. He will be elevated to become their starter in Week 16 when they take on the Minnesota Vikings. Here’s what happened to their other options along the way to give the undrafted rookie an opportunity.
Why Is Ben Sauls Starting for the Giants in Week 16?
The Giants opened the 2025 NFL season with Graham Gano as their starting kicker. He has since been placed on injured reserve with a neck injury, which required surgery for a herniated disc. He is not expected to make a return this year, forcing New York to explore other potential options at the position.
The next man up was Jude McAtamney, but his disappointing performances and inconsistent efficiency resulted in him eventually being demoted and ultimately released. They then turned to Younghoe Koo, who lost his starting job with the Atlanta Falcons this year. He couldn’t hang on to the Giants’ job either, as he was waived amid his own struggles to provide reliability.
All of this has led to Sauls getting his first career opportunity to be a starting kicker, as the undrafted rookie is the lone option remaining on their roster. Giants reporter Doug Rush shared earlier in the week that it looked like Sauls was in line to be their Week 16 starter, and that’s exactly how things have played out leading into the game.
Sauls is a rare lefty kicker who finished his college football career with the Pittsburgh Panthers. He was not selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, which isn’t unusual for his position, but drew interest as a free agent after his impressive collegiate career.
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He will be the first lefty kicker to play in a regular-season NFL game since the legendary Sebastian Janikowski, according to the “New York Post” in a recent report. Janikowski last appeared for the Seahawks during the 2018 season, and every kicker since then has been a righty.
This trend will change on Sunday with Sauls, who told “The Post” that he’s “proud to represent the lefties” at a position that is dominantly righty across the league. He will make his debut on his home field at MetLife Stadium against the Vikings in relatively cool and windy conditions. He will look to provide a potential boost to the Giants’ offense, which currently ranks 23rd in PFSN’s Impact Rankings for this season.
