Thomas Morstead entered the 2016 season with the second-most expensive price tag among punters. There is no problem with that as long as said player performs up to the expectations that status brings. Morstead continued to fulfill his duties in his seventh season as a pro, all of which have been with the Saints.
Morstead finished the regular season in the top five in gross average (48.3 yards) and net average (42.4 yards). Those numbers are good for second-best and fourth-best over his career, respectively. With a career such as Morstead’s, that’s really saying something. He was able to pin the opponent inside the 20-yard-line 22 times (Pat McAfee did it 19 times), and had no punts blocked over the season.
In a year that the Saints special teams unit lacked any meaningful performances, Morstead did what he always does and will hopefully continue to do: deliver. Although very underrated in the national spotlight, he’s no doubt a huge asset for the black and gold.
Bonus: Here’s a video showing Morstead outkick the new hot commodity in the punting world, Marquette King.