For the first time in six years, the Miami Dolphins will have a right-footed punter in 2022.
The team agreed to terms with veteran Thomas Morstead on Friday, according to a league source, with the deal reported to be a one-year contract.
Morstead will replace Michael Palardy, who became an unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year contract last offseason to replace fellow left punter Matt Haack.
Morstead punted for the Jets and Falcons in 2021 after spending the previous 12 seasons with the New Orleans Saints.
In 2021, Morstead had a 47.2 gross average with a net of 42.4, much better numbers than Palardy's 44.7 and 40.1 figures, respectively.
Morstead was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month in December when he finished the season with Atlanta.
Morstead will come to Miami with a career average of 46.6 yards and handled kickoffs for the Saints for the first seven seasons of his NFL career.
In fact, it was in that capacity that Morstead produced one of the biggest plays of Super Bowl XLIV at Hard Rock Stadium (then called Sun Life Stadium). The Saints trailed the Indianapolis Colts 10-6 at halftime when Morstead executed an onside kick well enough that New Orleans recovered the ball.
The Saints went on to score a touchdown on that opening possession of the second half on their way to a 31-17 victory.
Morstead was named to the Pro Bowl in 2012 when he averaged 50.1 yards and finished second in the NFL in punting average behind the Dolphins' Brandon Fields, who was at 50.2.
Those were two of the nine times in NFL history a punter has reached the 50-yard mark in gross average in a season.
Morstead becomes the 10th unrestricted free agent the Dolphins have signed this offseason, but only the second one who was not an offensive player.
The other was DB Keion Crossen, who also was signed to help the special teams.
The other eight UFA acquisitions were QB Teddy Bridgewater, RB Raheem Mostert, RB Chase Edmonds, FB Alec Ingold, WR Cedrick Wilson Jr., WR Trent Sherfield, G Connor Williams and Morstead's former Saints teammate, tackle Terron Armstead.
The signing of Morstead also pretty much ends the idea of the Dolphins spending a draft pick on San Diego State's Matt Araiza, also knows as "Punt God."
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