Jordan Stout Is Booming at the Right Time - and the League Is Taking Notice
When Jordan Stout launched a 67-yard punt that checked up perfectly at the Jets’ 5-yard line and bounced out of bounds with the precision of a wedge shot, it wasn’t just a highlight-it was a statement. That booming kick, followed by a celebratory salute to the M&T Bank Stadium crowd, captured everything that’s gone right for Stout in a season where not much else has for the Ravens.
It’s not often a punter gets the spotlight, but Stout has earned it. In his fourth NFL season, the 26-year-old is turning in the best performance of his career-and just in time, with free agency looming. He’s not just flipping fields; he’s flipping the narrative around his position, establishing himself as one of the most consistent and dangerous punters in the league.
As of early December, Stout ranked third in the NFL in gross punting average (51.3 yards) and led the league in net average (45.5), which factors in return yardage. That’s elite territory.
He’s on pace to rewrite the Ravens' record books in both categories. And that 67-yarder against the Jets?
It wasn’t even his longest of the day. Earlier in the game, he uncorked a 74-yard bomb that tied the franchise record for longest punt.
“It kind of feels like this is four years of work that’s finally paying off,” Stout said. “I just feel like it’s all clicking.”
Stepping Out of Sam Koch’s Shadow
When the Ravens made Stout the first punter selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, taking him in the fourth round out of Penn State, it was clear they were preparing to move on from Sam Koch-the longest-tenured player in franchise history and a punting icon in Baltimore. That’s no easy act to follow.
Stout’s rookie season was solid but unspectacular. He averaged 45.9 yards per punt-just below the league average-and had one of the higher touchback rates in the NFL.
But the real story was what happened behind the scenes. Koch, who transitioned into a special teams consultant role after retiring, stayed close to the team and mentored Stout through the early growing pains.
“He helped me a ton throughout this journey,” Stout said. “It would have been a lot harder if he wasn’t around teaching me the things he knew, the way he played and how his thought process worked.”
That mentorship proved crucial, especially late last season when Stout hit a rough patch. Over the final five games, he averaged just 43.1 yards per punt and had three touchbacks in his final eight kicks. Not terrible, but not the standard he wanted.
“[Koch] being there for me was what got me through,” Stout said. “And is part of why I’m having a great year this year.”
The Craft Behind the Boom
Stout’s improvement this season isn’t just about distance-it’s about control, consistency, and a growing toolbox. He spent the offseason working with other specialists at a kicking academy run by former NFL kicker Nick Novak in San Diego. That’s where he refined his technique and added a new weapon: the “boomerang punt.”
It’s a tricky kick Koch used to deploy, and now Stout has it in his arsenal. The key is rotating the nose of the ball before contact. If struck properly, it spirals down like a maple seed spinning in the wind-a nightmare for returners trying to track its flight.
That level of detail and nuance is where Stout has taken the biggest leap. According to long snapper Nick Moore, who’s worked with Stout throughout his Ravens tenure, the punter’s growth has been about more than just leg strength.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth in his maturity, raising his attention to detail when it comes to the little stuff,” Moore said. “It’s not necessarily the flashy stuff, but it’s the stuff that produces the most consistent results. He’s really taken ownership of that this year and gotten his confidence back.”
Stout’s also become a reliable holder-an often overlooked but critical part of special teams success. It’s a role Koch excelled in, and one that former Ravens coordinator Jerry Rosburg once called “the best in the history of football.” No pressure, right?
Stout didn’t do much holding at Penn State because he also handled field goal duties, but Moore says the athletic punter has grown into the job.
“He’s become an outstanding holder,” Moore said.
Stout agrees: “It’s half the job.”
A Contract Year With Perfect Timing
Stout’s breakout couldn’t be better timed. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal, earning $1.1 million in the fourth season of a four-year, $4.3 million contract. That number is about to go up-way up.
Just look at the market. In June, Michael Dickson (Seahawks) and Logan Cooke (Jaguars) each signed extensions worth over $4 million per year.
Dickson’s deal-a four-year, $16.2 million pact-set the bar for punters. Stout, with his performance this season, is playing his way into that tier.
The Ravens have decisions to make. Stout is one of about 20 pending free agents, and while they locked up tight end Mark Andrews earlier this month, they’ll need to manage a ballooning salary cap situation-especially with Lamar Jackson’s 2026 cap hit projected at over $74 million.
That puts GM Eric DeCosta in a tough spot. But it’s hard to ignore what Stout has done-and what he could continue to do.
Stout admitted the contract situation was on his mind earlier in the year, but says he’s reached a place where he can focus on the job.
“Now, it’s easy to say when everything’s going right, I don’t think about it too much,” he said. “I have such a good foundation at this point that I feel I can go out there and have five bad punts and I’m gonna be OK. Then that gives you the freedom to have four good punts.”
Still, the stakes are real. And Stout knows it.
“It’s a contract year, right?” he said, recalling a conversation with senior special teams coach Randy Brown.
“Randy Brown tells me, ‘If you do poorly, we’re gonna cut you. If you do OK, we’ll re-sign you, and if you do too well … I’m going to leave that part out.’”
However that plays out, one thing’s clear: Jordan Stout has arrived. And whether it’s in Baltimore or somewhere else, he’s going to be punting-and getting paid-for a long time.