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Falcons sign former Jets punter Thomas Morstead

Morstead will replace Dustin Colquitt, who may see the end of his time with Atlanta after only six games.

NFL: London Games-New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

On Monday, the Falcons were forced to drop current punter Dustin Colquitt on the reserve/COVID-19 list. That put Colquitt in danger of missing Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, again forcing the team to look at replacements.

It looked like the moves were done on Tuesday night when the Falcons signed punter Dom Maggio to the practice squad. If Colquitt was still not cleared to punt on Sunday, Maggio would elevate and fit in for the week.

Thomas Morstead, a punter most notable for briefly kicking for the New York Jets earlier this season, surprisingly announced he was signing with the Falcons just a few hours after Maggio was signed.

The punter, who bleeds Jets green and white, showed he still has plenty of boom in his leg at age 35. With a solid showing, he may have a chance to wrap up the starting job for the remainder of the season. Morestead has a past connection with Falcons general Terry Fontenot at a team prior his Jets career.

Compared to Colquitt, Morstead has punted for an extra .5 yards per punt than Colquitt, and is four years his junior. That puts Morstead at 9th overall in punting average this season. His hang time wasn’t half bad either.

Morstead completed his time with the Jets ranked the 3rd best punter in the NFL, generally in the top 10 on all of its analytical categories. To sum up, Morstead should be a solid improvement.

Morstead is a strong, steady veteran who has seemingly been an under the radar player prior to signing with the Jets earlier in 2021.