Mitch Wishnowsky, the punter who literally booted our Hawks around Lumen Field just a couple weeks ago, is officially back on the active roster! The New England Patriots just called him up from their practice squad for their big Sunday clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This isn’t just a routine move. This dude is getting his second appearance in as many weeks, stepping in because their main punter, Bryce Baringer, is stuck on injured reserve to start the season. It tells you everything about their depth chart drama and the impact this guy can make.
Remember Those Nasty Punts at Lumen Field?
Yeah, we saw this guy up close, didn’t we? It was September 9th, right here in the Emerald City, when Wishnowsky made his season debut against our mighty Seahawks at Lumen Field. The dude was absolutely dealing! He averaged a rock-solid 44.3 yards per punt, with a net of 42.0 yards per punt. That’s elite field-flipping stuff that shifts momentum. What truly stung us though? Three of his four punts were pinned *inside* our 20-yard line. Precision bombing, no cheap touchbacks, just perfect placement that put our offense in rough spots all game long. He wasn’t just punting either. The guy was pulling double duty, holding for long snapper Julian Ashby and kicker Andy Borregales on a crucial 50-yard field goal. That kind of versatility and pinpoint accuracy? It’s exactly why the Patriots are scrambling to get him back, and frankly, why our Hawks had such a tough time on those possessions. We saw the threat firsthand.
A Veteran Punter’s Wild Ride Lands Him Back in the Spotlight
And get this: this isn’t some fresh-faced rookie. Wishnowsky is a 34-year-old vested veteran, an absolute unit at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, who’s seen more NFL fields than most quarterbacks. He was drafted by our old NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft at pick No. 110 overall. Six whole seasons spent battling it out in the NFC West alone, before he bounced to stops with the Washington Commanders and Buffalo Bills. This guy has legitimate pedigree, racking up 106 career games with 352 punts for almost 16,000 yards. He’s got a cannon for a leg, too, boasting a career long of 74 yards! He even won the prestigious Ray Guy Award, hailing from Australia, Santa Barbara City College, and the University of Utah. Now, he’s a practice squad hero getting elevated again. This is his second standard elevation, and teams only get three before they’re forced to make a permanent 53-man roster move. It screams desperation, doesn’t it? It just shows you the bind the Patriots are truly in with Baringer sidelined. And it’s not just punter problems over there either; they’ve got other serious injury woes, ruling out offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover and downgrading cornerback Carlton Davis III. Plus, interior offensive lineman Ben Brown and outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones are both listed as questionable. What a mess!
So, Mitch Wishnowsky is officially back for their home opener at Gillette Stadium against the Steelers this Sunday, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET. Our Hawks might’ve walked away with the win that day, but we definitely got an up-close-and-personal lesson in what this guy can do to a special teams unit. Pittsburgh, consider yourselves officially warned!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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