Austin McNamara might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of game-changers in the NFL, but make no mistake - the Jets’ rookie punter is quietly becoming one of the most valuable weapons in New York’s arsenal.
In a league that often overlooks the third phase of the game, McNamara is making sure special teams get their due. And Jets head coach Aaron Glenn isn’t shy about giving his punter the recognition he deserves.
“He’s a weapon, and I call him a weapon,” Glenn said after Sunday’s win over the Falcons. “We call him our sniper. He has the ability to flip the field for us.”
And flip the field he did. Against Atlanta, McNamara punted six times, averaging 49.3 yards per boot. His longest traveled 55 yards, and three of his kicks pinned the Falcons inside their own 20-yard line - textbook execution for a punter tasked with controlling field position.
But this wasn’t a one-off performance. McNamara’s been delivering all season.
Among punters with at least 35 attempts, he holds the second-highest grade from Pro Football Focus at 90.9. That’s not just good - that’s elite territory.
Let’s put it in perspective: McNamara ranks fourth in net yards per punt (43.6), boasts the lowest return rate in the league (31.4%), and sits second in average hangtime at 4.75 seconds. That combination of distance, placement, and hangtime doesn’t just limit returns - it eliminates them. He’s essentially turning punts into defensive plays.
And McNamara’s impact is being felt beyond the stat sheet. Following Sunday’s performance, the Jets’ special teams DVOA jumped from 9.5% to 11.3%.
That might sound like a small bump, but in the advanced metrics world, it’s massive. That number now puts them on pace for the third-best special teams DVOA in NFL history.
The benchmark? The 2002 New Orleans Saints, who set the all-time record at 11.8%.
McNamara, for his part, is staying humble. “I am just trying to do my part, help the team out, and put us in the best position possible to win,” he said Monday.
But make no mistake - he’s doing more than just his part. In a season where field position has often been the Jets’ best ally, McNamara has been the one pulling the strings. He’s not just flipping fields; he’s flipping expectations of what a punter can mean to a football team.
So while the offense works through its growing pains and the defense continues to hold the line, don’t overlook what’s happening on special teams. Because if this pace continues, we might just be witnessing one of the best special teams units the league has ever seen - and McNamara is right at the heart of it.