There's only one player remaining in the NFL from the Saints' Super Bowl roster, but he doesn't play for the Saints anymore.
He is still very much an NFL mainstay though, one full season after the longtime New Orleans punter was released prior to the 2021 season. Morstead spent the beginning of the year as a free agent, but latched on with the New York Jets and then longtime rival Atlanta Falcons, where he earned the first NFC Special Teams Player of the Month honor of his career.
His performance put him back fully on teams' radars, and he landed with the Miami Dolphins as their full-time punter ahead of the 2022 season. But he took some time to reflect on his departure from the Saints in a report from CBS Sports. It all began with an injury prior to training camp in 2020, a COVID reduction in the cap, the knowledge that he was the highest-paid in the NFL at his position and Blake Gillikin waiting in the wings.
"Just was a tough situation," he said in the report. "I guess I knew that there was probably going to be some sort of change or something was going to have to give, but I just didn't know how that would go down."
Morstead's release was quick and emotional. He took part in a tearful Zoom call with reporters from his car, and made it clear he wasn't going to call it a career despite the uncertainty ahead of him. He was active on social media with workouts, even driveway punts from his family home in New Orleans.
He knew his time would come, and that's what happened when the Jets came calling.
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"I've got kids that are old enough to know what's going on," he said. "They see Dad get fired, and how's he going to respond? That was one thing that I really valued, the opportunity to turn that adversity into opportunity."
Morstead is now in a Dolphins uniform, but he's got familiar faces around him. Miami also signed longtime Saints LT Terron Armstead this offseason, as well as former Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
In the meantime, the most jacked punter in the NFL will continue what he does best (and the kids will make sure he never skips leg day). Need evidence?
For the full report from CBS Sports, click here.
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