In 2021, the Miami Dolphins’ punting situation wasn’t great, as they went through the season with Michael Palardy holding down the role, who had been with the Carolina Panthers for four seasons prior.
Palardy had an up-and-down year. On the plus the side, he was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 13. However, on the season, he ranked 24th in punt average (44.7 yards per attempt).
With Palardy hitting free agency, it wasn’t surprising that the Dolphins were looking to move in a different direction. They eventually signed veteran punter Thomas Morstead, who spent 2021 split between the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons.
The deal came together pretty quickly, as the two sides signed a deal just two days after the punter visited the facility.
On Tuesday, Morstead actually said that he was the one that had an interest in joining the Dolphins, not the other way around.
“I won’t get too specific about it because it’s team business but I actually reached out to them,” Morstead said. “There was no punter on the roster and I thought Miami seems like a nice place to play. Financially, I was willing to take a veteran salary benefit deal and I don’t think they knew that, so I just made it clear. They said, ‘Well get on a plane and come out here and see if you like it.’”
Typically, the teams are the ones that are making contact with players that they’re interested in. There’s a real chance that if Morstead didn’t reach out, the Dolphins would’ve been selecting a punter in the draft, which was a topic that was discussed at length by the media and fanbase.
Morstead has fond memories of playing in Miami, and he’s glad to do it again.
“Yeah, I haven’t been back here in 13 years,” he said. “Last time I stepped off this field, we won the Super Bowl and I had glitter all over my shoes. It was a great experience. Eight years later, we played the Dolphins away in London so I haven’t been back. I’m really looking forward to getting back in the stadium. Although it was a long, long time ago, in certain ways it was just like yesterday. I’m excited to be back in there.”
Both he and the team are hoping that this season can end the same way that season did for him – with his team winning a Lombardi Trophy.
