FLORHAM PARK — As punters go, Thomas Morstead has had himself a heck of an NFL career. In his first season, he helped the New Orleans Saints win their first Super Bowl in franchise history thanks to a key onside kick to start the second half that shifted momentum.
Morstead hasn’t been back in the big game since that year, but as he prepares for his 15th NFL season with the New York Jets, he believes this year’s group is as strong a team as he’s ever been on.
“It’s not about what you say, it’s about what you do,” Morstead told AMNY. “My expectations are that everyone works as hard as they can so we can maximize whatever we can become.”
Morstead on his return to the Jets
This isn’t Morstead’s first stint with the Jets this season. Back in 2021, he replaced an injured Braden Mann and performed admirably for Gang Green for seven games. In those seven games, he averaged 48.2 yards per punt, a personal best for him since 2016.
Once Mann got healthy, the Jets released Morstead but the 37-year-old punter came away impressed with how the front office treated him.
“I knew what the deal was when I got here,” Morstead explained. “They were clear about (filling in for Braden). It was a great opportunity to get my foot back in the door after being released by the Saints in 2020. Joe Douglas was great and kept things clear with me…I had a great relationship here.”
Morstead also touted the relationship he has cultivated with long snapper Thomas Hennessy and Brant Boyer as reasons for wanting to come back to New York for a second time. Now, he joins kicker Greg Zuerlein to form a dynamic special teams group – something the Jets have not had in a very long time. Like most position groups for New York in 2023, the expectations are there for each group to potentially have multiple Pro Bowl players.
“I certainly feel like we have outstanding resumes which doesn’t mean a damn thing,” Morstead joked. “But we’re both confident in our ability. I’ve respected Greg for a long time. He’s had a great career and when you’re around people who operate in a consistent way, it’s nice to have.”
Morstead on post-career plans and Pat McAfee
Special teams players always seem to have a difficult job on their hands. They rarely practice with the full team during the week but are arguably thrust into some of the most stressful situations of any player across the league. That kind of pressure is good but can be a double-edged sword with any mistake being highlighted as a reason for a loss.
There is benefit to that of course. With so many players looking to earn spots, it’s easy for punters to build friendships with those across the league. Take Morstead for example. When he came to the NFL in 2009, fellow punter and now ESPN podcast host Pat McAfee was also rising through the ranks.
McAfee and Morstead have developed a good relationship over the years as the latter retired and ventured into the entertainment business. While Morstead knows he’s entering the twilight of his career, the post-career thoughts of the former All-Pro punter couldn’t be more different from his friend.
“Pat and I are great friends and have had a lot of experience playing against each other. Pat had unique goals and ambitions in what he was going to parlay football into,” Morstead explained. ” I wanted to parlay my punting into more punting. I would say we’re different in that regard. I’m sure there are plenty of things that I will do when I’m done playing but I’m not allowing myself to look at that realm.”
Morstead joins a Jets team with Super Bowl aspirations in front of them. At every position group, they hold solid players that can make a difference in a game.
At its core though, if New York needs to utilize their special teams groups to pull out an edge, they are fortunate to have one of the best in the league. From Zuerlein to Morstead to even Hennessy, the Jets are solid in their belief that this group can be the difference against some of the best teams in front of them.
