The New England Patriots didn’t have a punter on their roster before Thursday.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, they remedied that situation by signing Corliss Waitman. The left-footed punter played all 17 games for the Denver Broncos last season, but they withdrew his exclusive rights tender and signed Riley Dixon to a two-year deal.
Punter news!
The Patriots have signed Corliss Waitman, formerly of the Steelers and Broncos. He also had a stint on the Patriots’ practice squad in 2021.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 23, 2023
Waitman spent time on New England’s practice squad in 2021 before playing two games for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last season, he averaged 41.6 net yards per punt and pinned 30 of 96 attempts inside the 20.
The Patriots had no punter after releasing Jake Bailey. An All-Pro in 2020, Bailey averaged a career-low 35.1 net yards last season with the worst touchback rate (13.5%) in four years.
After signing with the Miami Dolphins, Bailey attributed his 2022 struggles to too much back squatting.
New England could still sign or draft another punter to compete with Waitman for the starting job.