The San Francisco 49ers did not re-sign punter Thomas Morstead this offseason. Instead, they elected to add former Pittsburgh Steelers punter Corliss Waitman. The 31-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Niners during free agency.
NFL Insider Aaron Wilson reported that special teams coordinator Brant Boyer met virtually with former Syracuse punter Jack Stonehouse on Tuesday.
The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler added that, “San Francisco has expressed interest in Stonehouse throughout the process, and
the team is expected to add a punter either through the draft or in the UDFA bucket.”
At Syracuse, Stonehouse had an average hangtime of 4.29 in 2025. His yards per punt were 46.2, with a net of 41.7. In each of his four seasons in college–he punted for Missouri as a true freshman–Stonehouse had a punt of at least 64 yards. His hangtime increased in each season, too. It was as low as 4.06 in 2022.
For reference, Morstead’s hangtime was 4.14 last season, with an average of 43.2 yards and a net of 36.9. Waitman fared much better, with an average hangtime of 4.52 last season with the Steelers, and an average of 45.4 with a net of 41.6.
If the team added Stonehouse as an undrafted free agent, it wouldn’t take some devastating cap hit to move off of Waitman’s contract. The 49ers gave Waitman $400,000 in guarantees this offseason. Add in his $75,000 signing bonus, and it would cost $475,000 in dead money to cut Waitman. He’s the 23rd-highest paid punter in the league. That is not a contract that guarantees Waitman a job to begin Week 1.
The last two draft picks the team used on specialists did not work out. Even if they really liked the idea of Stonehouse, using three fourth-round picks to fill depth or move back into the third round are all better team-building moves than drafting a punter.
The 49ers should be looking to add competition at every position, whether it’s quarterback or punter. In this instance, taking a flyer on a specialist makes sense as an undrafted free agent.
