FLOWERY BRANCH -- Punter Thomas Morstead is making the most of his opportunity with the Falcons and appears to be in the team’s long-range plans.
After former punter Cameron Nizialek suffered a hamstring injury and then Dustin Colquitt went on the reserve/COVID-19 list Nov. 22, the Falcons wanted a veteran punter and signed Morstead to a one-year, $1.075 million deal with a cash value of $418,056.
Morstead, 35, has boomed 14 punts for 648 yards, an average of 46.3, with a long of 64 yards. He’s a younger veteran option than Colquitt, who’s 39 and signed with the Browns on Dec. 10.
“He’s a pro, and he’s made an impact on the game,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “Not that Dustin Colquitt (didn’t) punt well either, but that’s why we have a good staff. Everybody’s collaborative, and (Falcons general manager) Terry (Fontenot) and his staff and all the coaches, we all collaborate. Those are underrated moves that nobody thinks about.”
Morstead was named the NFC special-teams player of the week after the Falcons beat the Jaguars. He placed four punts inside Jacksonville’s 15-yard line, including a 55-yarder.
”He had a huge impact on (that) game,” Smith said.
Morstead also had to take over the holding duties for field-goal and extra-point attempts.
“He’s doing a really good job, and so did Dustin Colquitt,” Smith said. “Obviously, under the circumstances, we wanted to have veterans come in here and stabilize that position. That’s an underrated thing. You’ve got to give (long snapper) Josh (Harris) and (kicker Younghoe) Koo a lot of credit. You’re changing the holders up, and you don’t appreciate the nuances that go into that.”
After a 12-year career with the New Orleans Saints, he was cut March 4. He signed with the Jets on Sept. 14 and was cut Nov. 8 after punting in seven games.
Last week against the 49ers, Morstead punted twice for 99 yards (49.5 yards per punt). He was elated to continue his career with the Falcons.
“I was just grateful to get my foot back in the door,” Morstead said. “It didn’t work out at the Jets, but I was grateful just to get my foot back in the door.”
While Morstead was out of a job, he kept training with the hopes of getting another opportunity.
“I didn’t get any calls this spring or summer, and I feel like I’ve been one of the best players in the league for the past decade, so that was very frustrating,” Morstead said. “It was pretty quiet this spring and summer. I just put my head down, and I wasn’t just trying to survive, I felt like I could do this a lot longer.”
While the Falcons signed him to only a one-year deal, they could work out a long-term arrangement after the season.
“I just trained, and I was a dad the rest of the time,” Morstead said of his time off. “Coach (Smith) already gives me a hard time already being in the weight room and thinks I work out too much. The reason I’m still playing is because I take care of my body better than anybody, I think. It’s a lifestyle for me. I love the training, I love the nutrition and constantly learning new things to get better.”
One of the challenges Morstead faced was fixing his vision. His vision issues affected how he played and saw the game.
“It just made me less sure about what I was doing, what I was seeing and how quick I was punting,” Morstead said. “I feel back to normal and punting well.
Morstead has no ill will toward the Saints or the Jets.
“At the end of the day, you must earn everything in this league. It doesn’t matter what you did in the past,” Morstead said. “It’s honestly been a lot of fun to feel like your job is on the line week to week. Stressful in a good way. I think it brings out in the competitor.”
Morstead enjoyed his time in New Orleans, which included making the Pro Bowl in 2012. He built a house there for his family and tries to be a family man.
“One of the reasons I said yes to being here is the ability to do that,” Morstead said. “Being away from the kids and their age is not something I’m interested in doing long-term, so I’m hoping to carve out a spot here in the future or anywhere where I can have a little more stability.”
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