The Green Bay Packers have a new punter.
A day after it was learned Corey Bojorquez would not be re-signed, the Packers made a big move by signing longtime Chicago Bears punter Pat O’Donnell. NFL Network was first to report.
O’Donnell, who turned 32 last month, was a sixth-round draft pick by the Bears in 2014.
In eight seasons, he’s got a lofty average of 45.1 yards. While he’s not getting any younger, he averaged 45.7 yards in 2020 and a career-best 46.2 yards in 2021.
For comparison, Bojorquez ranked 11th in the NFL with a franchise-best 46.5-yard average and 17th with a 40.0-yard net. He had 18 punts inside the 20 and four touchbacks. O’Donnell ranked 14th in average and 24th with a 38.5-yard net. He had 19 punts inside the 20 and five touchbacks.
So, for the season, Bojorquez was the better punter. However, he went into a late-season slump. The hope is O’Donnell, with a wealth of experience, will punt consistently late in the season.
In case you were wondering, O’Donnell ran his 40 in 4.64 seconds with 23 reps on the bench press at the 2014 Scouting Combine.
More must-reads: