Why the 49ers Signed Punter Thomas Morstead

It makes sense why the 49ers released veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky this week. He's 33, he didn't play well last season and he missed the final eight games with a back injury.

What makes less sense is why the 49ers replaced him with Thomas Morstead.

Morstead is 39, so he's hardly a long-term solution. But he is an immediate upgrade according to CBS Sports.

"The 39-year-old Morstead is going into his 17th NFL season and one reason he's been able to stick around so long is because of his consistency," writes CBS Sports' John Breech. "In 2024, Morstead had a gross punting average of 47.2 yards per kick, which ranked 16th overall in the NFL. Although he didn't crack the top 10 in 2024, Morstead has ranked in the top 10 for yards per punt in 10 of his 16 seasons. Morstead's net punting average in 2024 was 40.7 yards, which was slightly below his career average of 41.5.

"In 2023, Morstead pinned opposing teams inside their own 20 a total of 36 times, which was second-most in the NFL. If he can replicate that number in San Francisco, the 49ers will likely be thrilled."

TRANSLATION: Morstead is simply better than Wishnowsky, whose career gross punting average is a mere 45.6 yards per kick. Which means even an older Thomas Morstead has a stronger leg than him.

But Wishnowsky is more accurate than Morstead. Even though Morstead pinned opponents inside their 20 a total of 36 times in 2023, he punted a whopping 99 times, which means his percentage of punts that landed inside the opponent's 20 was just 36.4, which is close to his career average. Meanwhile, Wishnowsky's career average is 44.5 percent.

It seems the 49ers just wanted a punter with a stronger leg.