The New Orleans Saints just dropped a four-year, **$14 million** contract on punter Ryan Wright, and yeah, that’s a boatload of cash for a guy who typically stays out of the spotlight. But if you’ve been watching the Saints special teams unit since Thomas Morstead bounced after the 2020 season, you know why they had to go all-in. This position has been a total disaster, a literal revolving door with four different punters in five years, each one worse than the last.
The Saints’ Kicking Game Has Been a Mess
Seriously, it’s been a clown show. Kai Kroeger, their fourth punter in five seasons, was the latest to get the boot this offseason. Remember Blake Gillikin? He was the only one who even lasted two seasons, back in 2021 and 2022. Kroeger took over from Matthew Hayball last year, and the results? Brutal. In 2025, his gross average was a respectable 44.8 yards per punt, sure, but his net average of just **37.3 yards** ranked DEAD LAST in the entire NFL. He only managed to pin opponents inside the 20-yard line on 18 punts, a dismal **32.1%** average. Oh, and two of his punts got blocked. You can’t flip field position with that kind of output, and the Saints defense desperately needed that advantage. They’ve tried five different undrafted rookies, too, and clearly, that didn’t work.
$1.9 Million Says Ryan Wright Is The Guy
So, the Saints went a different route this time: they shelled out for Ryan Wright. He’s 26, played his entire four-year NFL career with the Vikings, and was a Tulane Green Wave guy. His career stats are looking a lot better than the recent Saints’ punters: a **47.9 yard gross average** and a **42.5 yard net average**. More importantly, he’s dropped **101 punts inside the opposing 20-yard line**, hitting a career average of **39.9%**. That’s the whole job, right? Flip the field, give your defense some breathing room. The Saints are so confident they’ve already bet **$1.9 million** in 2026 salary cap space on Wright, with no competition facing him in training camp.
The move to bring in Wright is a massive commitment. A punter shouldn’t even be a discussion point if they’re doing their job, and that’s exactly why the Saints went after him hard. Now, everyone’s watching to see if this hefty contract finally stabilizes a position that has been a total mess for years. It’s training camp time, and Wright has the spotlight.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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