The Jets MVP through seven games isn’t an offensive or defensive player.
It is punter Thomas Morstead, who has been Gang Green’s special teams weapon this season.
Last week, Morstead was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after placing four punts inside the 20-yard line in the Jets’ 13-10 overtime win against the Giants. He punted the ball 11 times (48.1 avg), including three fielded inside the five-yard line.
This led to Morstead being called the “G.O.A.T” by cornerback D.J. Reed in the locker room after the game.
“It’s been amazing, not just this week but the whole season,” Morstead told the Daily News. “I feel like our whole special teams room has had a significant impact on winning games this year. We’ve definitely felt it and honestly, it has been a lot of fun.
“All the games, except the Cowboys game, it has been tight, down to the wire. Every play matters and it’s an awesome energy and that’s the high of being a player. Being in games and plays that matter, which can be the difference.”
Morstead initially signed with the Jets in April after the team was looking to upgrade from previous punter Braden Mann. He was briefly released in August and later re-signed with the Jets after tackle Carter Warren and tight end Kenny Yeboah were placed on injured reserve.
This is Morstead’s second stint with the Jets after he was signed in 2021 to fill in for the injured Mann for seven games. After the Jets released him in 2021, he finished the year with the Falcons.
Last season, Morstead played with the Dolphins and he averaged 46.4 yards per punt attempt. He helped Miami reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Not only has Morstead been one of the best punters in the NFL this season, but he has arguably been the most consistent player on the Jets roster. In seven games, Morstead is averaging 48.0 yards per punt and has a 44.0 net punting average.
“You can’t say enough about him,” Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said. “I’ve always had the utmost respect for Thomas and the way he approaches the game and how he is in the locker room and how he is in our room.
“The way he controls returners … he has done that the entire season.”
Morstead’s punting has helped the Jets defense, which has 13 takeaways, immensely. Gang Green’s defense recorded safeties in back-to-back games against the Chiefs and Broncos after Morstead punted the ball inside the 10-yard line.
With their offense currently ranking 31st in yards per game [273.3 yards per game] and 26th in points per game [18.0], the Jets have leaned on special teams to win games. Morstead, along with kicker Greg Zuerlein, have both played at a Pro Bowl level.
“He is the best punter I have ever been around in my life, not just played with but played against,” Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said about Morstead. “He is as good as it gets. He has got such an amazing demeanor, like typically specialists are so isolated.
“They don’t have a whole lot of interaction with the team, they are not a part of the culture as much. It is just the nature of that position. Whereas he is a guy that is totally integrated with this locker room and this team and he has become a mentor to a lot of guys. So, not only is he a weapon on game day, which he absolutely is.
“The ability to pin teams in the five-yard line on a consistent basis. We have that mindset that there is no offense in football that can go 95 yards on us. The fact that he can do that on a consistent basis is tremendous. He is a great, great resource for us.”
Not only has Morstead’s performance on the field been beneficial to the Jets, but also he’s been a leader off the field as well. Most kickers and punters do not consistently interact with the rest of the locker room. However, Morstead ensures he stays involved with players on both offense and defense.
Morstead lifts weights and runs sprints with teammates to show that he is just like the rest of the players. He believes it’s essential for him to keep integrating himself with the rest of his teammates.
“You’re not going to get it done at some point,” Morstead said. “Everybody is going to have a bad play, they’re going to let the team down in some way in some manner. If you haven’t shown that you are as invested as these guys who are sacrificing their bodies like this, I think that will sour really quickly.
“I kind of compare it to quarterbacks. If a quarterback is the first guy in and the last guy out, when he has a tough performance, no one is on his a-s because he’s committed. He’s doing the things he needs to do at the highest level. If your teammates see you doing all of those things and preparation, you’re exceeding the standards and expectations they have for you.
“That just equates to someone who they believe in. You want them to be excited you’re their punter and not someone else.”