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Saints Struggle to Find Consistent Punter, Releasing 4th in 5 Years
6 Aug
Summary
- Saints released punter Matthew Hayball after just 1 year with the team
- Punter has been a revolving door position for the Saints for decades
- Thomas Morstead, the Saints' best punter, left the team in 2020 and is now with the 49ers
The New Orleans Saints are facing yet another change at the punter position, as they released Matthew Hayball on Wednesday after just one year with the team. Unless they re-sign Hayball, the Saints will have a different punter for the fourth consecutive season in 2025.
Punter has been a problematic position for the Saints for several decades. Dating back to the 1979 NFL draft, when the team selected placekicker/punter Russell Erxleben in the first round, the position has been a carousel of unsuccessful or inconsistent players. Only a few punters, like Brian Hansen in the mid-1980s and Mitch Berger in the early 2000s, have found success with the Saints.
By far the best punter to wear the Saints' uniform was Thomas Morstead, who was with the team for 12 seasons through 2020. Morstead was among the league's best punters, but the Saints have failed to find a suitable replacement since his departure. Morstead is currently with the San Francisco 49ers, and the Saints may face him in 2025 when they play the 49ers.
As the Saints head into the 2025 season, their punting competition is between undrafted rookies Kai Kroeger and James Burnip. The team's inability to find a consistent punter has been a persistent issue, and it remains to be seen if they can finally solve this problem in the upcoming season.
