The San Francisco 49ers are going all-in on revamping their roster. Experiencing a massive roster exodus this offseason, losing a lot of key players from both the 2019 and the 2023 Super Bowl teams, new faces will enter the mix and attempt to make up for the lost production. But the 49ers are revamping every part of the roster, including special teams. On May 28, the 49ers made their latest move, signing longtime veteran punter, Thomas Morstead, to a deal.
Entering his 17th NFL season, Morstead has been around for a while and made a name for himself during his tenure with the New Orleans Saints— where he was a part of the Super Bowl XLIV title run in his rookie season. But since leaving the Saints in 2020, Morstead has bounced around, spending the previous two seasons with the New York Jets. Now, the 49ers bring him in to provide competition for Mitch Wishnowsky.
Assessing the Signing
While Wishnowsky has been the 49ers’ starting punter since he was drafted in 2019, the last couple of seasons have been somewhat of a struggle. Last season, Wishnowsky dealt with an injury that not only kept him out for a substantial amount of time, but it also hampered his ability to punt the ball far, averaging around 45 yards per punt in nine games played. Morstead, who will be 39 years old this season, averaged 47.2 yards per punt last season and has not averaged below 45 yards per punt since 2020– his final season in New Orleans.
Bringing in Morstead could mean a couple of things. For one, it means that Wishnowsky’s days in San Francisco could be limited. One of the worst special teams units in the league last season, and for a majority of the Kyle Shanahan era, the 49ers brought in a new special teams coordinator in Brant Boyer– who has wasted no time in revamping the unit. But it could also mean that the 49ers are simply trying to protect Wishnowsky from more injuries by bringing in a camp leg. Either way, signing Morstead brings up questions about Wishnowsky’s future as a 49er.
Morstead’s Career Thus Far
A fifth round pick out of SMU in the 2009 draft, Morstead spent 12 seasons with the Saints and became one of the best punters in the league during his tenure. In addition to winning a Super Bowl as a rookie, he also earned a Pro Bowl and a Second-team All-Pro selection for his strong performance during the 2012 season– leading the league in punt in net punting average. The next few seasons saw Morstead continue to excel, leading to him signing a second contract extension with the Saints prior to the 2018 season.
Morstead was released after the 2020 season for cap reasons, with the Saints entering a new era following the retirement of Drew Brees. Remaining a free agent through the start of the 2021 season, Morstead then signed a contract with the Jets that September but released a couple of months later once Braden Mann returned from injury. He then spent the rest of 2021 with the Atlanta Falcons before joining the Miami Dolphins for 2022.
But it was in 2023 that Morstead proved he still had a lot left in the tank. Re-signing with the Jets as a free agent that offseason, he instantly became the team’s starting punter for the 2023 season and ended the season as the NFL’s punting yards leader.
