The New Orleans Saints have released Thomas Morstead. Morstead brought stability to the Saints punter position after being drafted in 2009. The release by the Saints was not completely unseen. The Saints do have a punter already on the roster which will look to take Morstead’s place. The release saddened many Saints fans. Morstead was the second-longest tenured Saints behind Drew Brees. Thomas Morstead is beloved by fans and the organization and will likely go down as an all-time great Saints player.
New Orleans Saints Part Ways With Thomas Morstead
Thomas Morstead leaves behind large shoes to fill. He ranks seventh all-time for average punt yards per season. In his entire career, Morstead has had just one blocked punt. Also, Thomas Morstead has been in the top 10 yards per punt every season since 2010. Various publications voted Morstead to their first or second all-pro teams six different times. The Pro Bowl selected Morstead just once in his career. This should not diminish his career, however. Morstead was a steady weapon for the New Orleans Saints.
Thomas Morstead will most be remembered for his contributions in Super Bowl 44. It was Morstead who delivered one of the biggest plays in Super Bowl history. Coming out of halftime, Morstead executed the onside kick that the New Orleans Saints recovered. This play helped the Saints win their first Super Bowl. Morstead lept in joy when it looked as if the Saints would recover the kick. The play, called “ambush”, has since become remembered as one of the best plays in Super Bowl history. NFL Films lists the play as the ninth greatest play in Super Bowl history.
Reaction to Release
There were rumors after the 2020 season ended about Thomas Morstead’s future. An injury-plagued season led to rumors about Morstead retiring. This did not happen and instead the New Orleans Saints released Thomas Morstead. The Saints drafted Blake Gillikin last offseason out of Penn State. It appears as if Gillikin now has the inside track on this starting job. Morstead was emotional in his post-release interview. Gillikin and countless other teammates have reacted with sadness to Morstead’s release. Thomas Morstead will always be a beloved member of the New Orleans Saints, no matter what team he happens to play for in upcoming seasons.
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