The Tennessee Titans took a big risk in moving on from franchise great Brett Kern in favor of rookie Ryan Stonehouse, but the decision has certainly paid off.
Stonehouse has been sensational in his first season. The rookie has displayed his monster leg time and time again, as he routinely blasts punts 50-plus yards, while also sprinkling in 60- and 70-yard attempts.
Going into Week 18, Stonehouse leads the NFL with a punt average of 53.0, but that mark is also the highest in the history of the NFL. The record, set by Hall of Famer and Washington punter Sammy Baugh in 1940, is 51.4.
That’s right, Stonehouse just casually strolled into the NFL and is about to crush an 82-year-old record.
Assuming the #Titans don’t punt more than 8 times against Jacksonville (their season high mark to this point), rookie Ryan Stonehouse just needs to average at least 33.75 yards per punt in Week 18 to break Sammy Baugh’s 82 year old single season punting average record. pic.twitter.com/nFwNLiIEH7
— Mike Herndon (@MikeHerndonNFL) December 31, 2022
As great as Stonehouse has been, there’s still room for improvement for the rookie punter, as evidenced by his net average yards per punt, which sits at 44.0 and ranks third in the NFL.
His biggest goal this offseason will be getting better at angling punts and pinning opponents deep. If he can get that down, Stonehouse would be as scary as a punter could possibly be.
While the Titans’ new punter smashes this record, their old one is doing just fine for himself. Kern signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in December and will have a good chance to win his first Super Bowl.
