It might not be the most important position, but punters matter in the game of football.
The field position battle often goes a long way toward winning games. Some of the best teams in NFL history have had great play from their punter. A handful have even made punting an exciting play, while also giving their team a strong advantage in the field position battle.
Which ones were the best at doing that? Here are the 10 greatest punters of all time, courtesy of FOX Sports research.
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10. Sean Landeta (1985-2005)
Before Feagles helped the Giants win a Super Bowl in 2007, Landeta did the same for New York on a pair of occasions (1986 and 1990). He was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in each season as they both marked two of the 14 seasons in which he finished in the top 10 in yards per punt. He’s also fourth all-time in punt yards (60,707), which is impressive considering he spent the first three seasons of his professional career kicking in the USFL.
9. Jeff Feagles (1988-2009)
Feagles’ longevity helped him become one of the greatest punters of all time. The two-time Pro Bowler has the most punts (1,713), punt yards (71,211) and punts inside the 20 (554) in NFL history. He also has the NFL record for most consecutive games played (352). When the New York Giants reached Super Bowl XLII, the then-41-year-old Feagles became the oldest player to ever play in a Super Bowl. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod a year later, making him one of the oldest Pro Bowlers of all time. He’s also one of three players in NFL history to ever play a game over four different decades.
Morstead has displayed some pretty remarkable longevity at the punter position. While he’s only earned one Pro Bowl nod in his career, Morstead has had most of his best seasons since he turned 35. He led the league in punt yards at age 37 in 2023. He’s also finished in the top 10 in average punt yards 10 times in his career, sitting 11th all-time in that stat (46.8 yards per punt). Morstead also helped the Saints win the Super Bowl as a rookie in 2009.
7. Andy Lee (2004-2022)
The Bay Area had two all-time great punters during the 2000s. As Lechler was sending off kicks for the Raiders, Lee was also punting at an All-Pro level for the San Francisco 49ers from 2004-14. He earned three All-Pro nods and was named a Pro Bowler three times over that stretch. He also led the league in punt yards three times and average yards per punt twice in his career, having some strong seasons with the Arizona Cardinals in his few years in the NFL. He’s third all-time in punt yards (68,405) and 13th in yards per punt (46.7).
Among active punters, there isn’t one more decorated than Hekker. The 13-year veteran was arguably a key piece for the Rams during their resurgence in the late 2010s, earning four All-Pro and four Pro Bowl nods so far. He led the league in punt yards twice in that stretch and had seven straight seasons where he was top-10 in average yards per punt (2013-19). He also has the longest recorded punt in Super Bowl history, sending off a 65-yard kick in the Rams’ Super Bowl LIII loss. Now with the Carolina Panthers, Hekker has 44,671 career punt yards entering the final two weeks of the 2024 season, which is the most among all active players.
5. Jerrell Wilson (1963-1978)
Wilson was arguably the best punter at the time of the merger. After leading the AFL in yards per punt on a pair of occasions, he led the NFL in yards per punt in three straight seasons (1971-73). Wilson’s punting prowess during that stretch helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl and earned him three Pro Bowl honors. Earning the nickname “Thunderfoot,” Wilson holds the Chiefs’ franchise records for punts (1,014), average yards per punt (43.6) and average yards per punt in a game (56.5).
4. Reggie Roby (1983-1998)
Roby was arguably the most unique punter in NFL history. The former Miami Dolphins standout rocked a watch to measure the hang time of his kicks and was one of the first punters to take the two-step approach before kicking the ball. While Roby popularized the two-step approach, his legs were made of sheer power as he’s one of the few punters to ever kick the ball without jumping. Roby finished in the top 10 for yards per punt on 13 occasions in his 16-year career. As his time in Miami coincided with the Dolphins’ strong run in the AFC in the 1980s, Roby earned two All-Pro and three Pro Bowl nods over the course of his career.
3. Yale Larry (1952-1953, 1956-1964)
Larry played a few positions over his 11-year career with the Detroit Lions, seemingly excelling as a punter, safety and returner. As a punter, Larry arguably solidified himself as the best in the game prior to the merger. When he retired, he ranked all-time in punting average (44.3 yards) and led the league in punting on three different occasions. His punting, along with his safety skills, helped the Lions win three NFL championships.
2. Shane Lechler (2000-2017)
Raiders owner Al Davis seemingly had an eye and appreciation for punters and special teamers compared to other talent evaluators around the league. While the Raiders didn’t use similar draft capital to acquire Lechler (selecting him in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft), they found one of the greatest punters when they drafted him. Lechler also had one of the strongest legs ever for a punter, finishing second in all-time punt yards (68,676) and fourth in average yards per punt (47.6). The 18-year pro was named an All-Pro six times and a Pro Bowler seven times over the course of his career, winning the punting yards leader title on four occasions. He’s also a part of both the NFL’s 2000’s and 2010’s All-Decade teams.
1. Ray Guy (1973-1986)
When you take a punter with a first-round pick, he had better live up to the hype. Guy did that and then some. Undeniably viewed as the greatest punter of all time, Guy had a tendency to pin teams deep in their own territory with his punts, finishing in the top five for average punt yards 10 times in his career. Those punts helped the Raiders win three Super Bowl titles over the course of his career. In turn, he earned three All-Pro and seven Pro Bowl nods over the course of his career. As Guy is the only punter ever taken in the first round in NFL history, he also became the first punter ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining fellow all-time greats in Canton in 2014.
Honorable mention
Sammy Baugh
Pat McAfee
Steve O’Neal
Jim Thorpe
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