The Jets have released punter Braden Mann, completing a transition at that special teams position one week after they signed 15th-year P Thomas Morstead.
Mann had been the Jets' punter for the past three seasons. He was their sixth-round choice (No. 191 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M and immediately took over the punting job, posting a gross average of 43.9 yards/punt and a net average of 37.2 in all 16 games as a rookie in 2020.
The next year, Mann had a solid year except for the knee injury he sustained on his first punt of the year in the season opener at Carolina, which cost him seven-plus games before his return. He still finished with career-high averages of 45.7 gross and 40.6 net and dropped 14 punts inside the opponents' 20 while hitting only one touchback. He also had a strong stretch handling kickoffs over the final nine games with 20 touchbacks on 22 kickoffs.
Mann's roller-coaster season last year produced a franchise-record 46.9 yards/punt (16th in the NFL), but his net averaged ticked down to 40.6 (24th). His eight touchbacks tied for fourth-most in the NFL, and opponents averaged 11.3 yards on his returnable punts, third-highest in the league.
Morstead spent his first 12 pro seasons with New Orleans, then split '21 between the Jets and Falcons and spent last year with the Dolphins. He returns to the Green & White after his impressive pinch-hitting stint during Mann's injury rehab in '21. On his 23 punts for the Jets, Morstead's gross average was 48.5, his net was 43.0, and he had seven inside-20s to no touchbacks.
