HEADLINES

Dustin Colquitt

Steelers Cut Dustin Colquitt, Expected To Bring Back Jordan Berry

October 23rd, 2020 at 4:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

A punter transition will take place in Pittsburgh, one that will send out the Steelers’ replacement punter and reinstall the position’s previous occupant.

The Steelers released Dustin Colquitt on Friday and are expected to re-sign Jordan Berry, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Berry operated as the Steelers’ punter from 2015-19 before being released in September.

Mike Tomlin said Colquitt’s punting was “not up to snuff” through five games. A 15-year punter with the Chiefs, Colquitt is averaging 43.1 yards per punt. That would be his lowest figure since his rookie season. The Chiefs released Colquitt this offseason, going with rookie Johnny Townsend in his place.

Berry averaged 45.5 yards per boot last season but was under 44 in 2017 and ’18. The Steelers gave Berry a two-year extension in 2019 but initially cut bait during that deal’s duration. Berry worked out for the Steelers on Monday and, provided none of his COVID-19 tests come back negative, would be in line to kick against the Titans on Sunday. Should the Steelers not have Berry ready to go, they have a backup plan in rookie Corliss Waitman. The South Alabama product resides on Pittsburgh’s practice squad.

Chiefs Release P Dustin Colquitt

April 28th, 2020 at 8:24am CST by Ben Levine

The longest-tenured Chiefs player is moving on. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Kansas City is releasing punter Dustin Colquitt. The move saves the Chiefs around $2MM against the cap.

“I have enjoyed my time in Chiefs Kingdom, all things come to an end, sometimes sooner than you hoped, prayed & pleaded for them to,” Colquitt wrote on Instagram. “I’ll miss walking into the building & smelling the coffee, talking to everyone…it took me forever to weave through some of the most loving people you’d ever hope to work with. I was a young kid when I first walked into Arrowhead…hell, the indoor facility used to be 70 yards. Holding this post for 15 years has been an honor that I never took for granted. Thank you KC.”

The 37-year-old had spent the entirety of his 16-year career in Kansas City, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl championship. Back in 2017, he passed Jerrel Wilson for the most punts and punting yards in franchise history, and he signed a three-year contract extension in 2018.

While Colquitt’s 44.3 yards per punt in 2019 was his lowest average since his sophomore season, his net average of 40.3 yards was on-par with his career marks. The veteran also placed 21 punts inside the 20.

The Chiefs must be content moving forward with their pair of punter additions: Tyler Newsome and Tommy Townsend. Newsome was a 2019 undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame, while Townsend is a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Florida. As Pelissero notes (on Twitter), the Chiefs gave Townsend a lofty $82.5K guaranteed.

Chiefs Re-Sign P Dustin Colquitt

March 15th, 2018 at 11:05am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have agreed to a new three-year deal with punter Dustin Colquitt, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The new pact will be worth up to $9MM. 

Colquitt is the Chiefs’ longest-tenured player as he has been with the team since 2005. Save for two missed games in 2008, Colquitt has been on the field for every regular season contest in that span. Last year, Colquitt booted 65 punts for 2936 yards, good for an average of 45.2. He also kicked the longest punt in the NFL last season when he drilled a 77-yarder in December. It was the second-longest attempt of his career, next to his 81 yard boot in 2007.

Last year, Colquitt carried a $4.9MM cap number. His new deal will lessen that blow going forward.