March 13, 2026, 4:55 a.m. CT

Veteran punter and former Tulane Green Wave star Ryan Wright was signed by the New Orleans Saints early in free agency. While a punter typically doesn’t generate many headlines, it was a major area of need for the Saints. New Orleans has cycled through four different punters in the five years since Thomas Morstead departed as a free agent after the 2020 season. That includes three different players over the last three seasons, with worsening results.

Blake Gillikin, Lou Hedley, Matthew Hayball, and Kai Kroeger were all rookies who failed to fill the sizeable shoes of Morstead. This time, the Saints elected to go the route of a proven veteran to improve a punting position that was downright woeful last year. Here’s a closer look at what they’re getting in Wright as he comes home.

Ryan WrightPosition: PunterAge: 25Height: 6-feet, 3 inchesWeight: 245 poundsNFL experience: 4 seasons

Growing up in San Ramon, Calif., Wright was both the punter and starting quarterback for California High School. He’d play collegiately for the Tulane Green Wave, where he held the punting job for all four years. Wright averaged 44.5 yards per punt for Tulane, including a 47.5 as a senior to earn him 2021 1st Team All-AAC honors. He’d go undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft, but was signed by the Minnesota Vikings.

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As a rookie, Wright beat out incumbent Jordan Berry to win the Vikings punting job. He’d hold off all challenges to keep that job for the next four years. Wright won Special Teams Player of the Week once as a rookie, averaging a gross of 47.4 yards and a net of 42.5 with 32 of his 72 punts landing inside the opposing 20-yard line. His inside the 20 percentage dipped to just 28.8% in 2023, but he still had a gross average of 48.7 and net of 42.1.

Wright’s accuracy improved sharply in 2024, as 27 of his 56 punts (48.2%) were downed inside the 20. His gross average was 46.5, with a net of 40.5 yards. Both those numbers rose significantly last season. Wright had a career-best gross average of 49 yards and net of 44.5, as 25 of his punts (38.5%) were downed inside the opposing 20. Additionally, Wright had an NFL-long of 77 yards during the season. By contrast, Kroeger carried a gross average of 44.8, NFL-worst net of 37.3, and only 18 of his punts (32.1%) were downed inside the opposing 20-yard line.

Ryan Wright was signed to flip field position for the Saints and pin opponents deep in their own territory. Both areas had been glaringly lacking for the Saints in recent years. While New Orleans is expected to have an improved offense in 2026, Wright’s addition is expected to help out a defense that got little assistance from their punters since Morstead left New Orleans.