After the season the Tennessee Titans just had, it’s hard to really call anyone a hero, but if there was one player who at least comes close to fitting the bill, it’s punter Ryan Stonehouse.
Stonehouse had a historic season, breaking the 82-year-old gross yards per punt average by a whopping 1.7 yards, finishing with a mark of 53.1. He finished fourth in net yards per punt, leading all rookies in that category.
The rookie’s massive leg was pretty important for Tennessee with how poorly the offense played. After all, Stonehouse’s booming kicks flipped the field for the Titans, which no doubt helped the defense.
As a result of the aforementioned things, NFL.com’s Nick Shook named Stonehouse the team’s unsung hero of 2022.
It’s rare to consider a punter as any kind of hero, but Stonehouse isn’t just any punter. The undrafted rookie from Colorado State stepped into the starting role in Tennessee and showed off his gigantic leg, finishing 2022 with a record-breaking gross punt average of 53.1 yards, shattering the mark set by the legendary, multi-talented Sammy Baugh set way back in 1940. That was good enough to earn him a selection to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team. Stonehouse gets the nod here because of how he so often flipped the field for a Titans team that came apart offensively.
Stonehouse did not get a Pro Bowl nod, but he is a reserve. He also earned second-team All-Pro honors, falling to Kansas City Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend because of his superior net yards average, which led the NFL.
The Pro Football Writers of America named Stonehouse to its All-Rookie team.
While his rookie season was no doubt impressive, Stonehouse does need to improve his ability to angle punts and pin opponents deep. If he can lock that down, there will be no stopping him.
