Would Ryan Stonehouse make sense for the Broncos as a new punter?

When Ryan Stonehouse and the Denver Broncos last crossed paths, he shredded them.

And now, with the Broncos in need of a punter after Riley Dixon agreed to a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Stonehouse is available.

The Tennessee Titans chose not to give the fourth-year punter a restricted free-agent tender, allowing the 2022 second-team All Pro to hit the open market.

Stonehouse is not the best punter on the market; that honor probably goes to Bryan Anger, who as of Tuesday afternoon remained unsigned after spending the last four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys — two of which saw him earn second-team All-Pro honors. (Note: Anger later agreed to terms to stay with the Cowboys despite interest from the Broncos.) But Stonehouse’s youth and his cannon make him perhaps the most intriguing option, even though his placement punting has always needed refinement.

So, why didn’t the Titans tender him?

Because in the wake of the torn anterior cruciate ligament that ended his 2023 season, his numbers eroded.

In net punting average, he fell from second in 2023 to 29th in 2024 (among 34 punters with at least 20 punts). His inside-the-20 percentage dropped from first to 33rd. His percentage of punts returned plummeted from 18th to 34th. The average hang time — as calculated by Pro Football Focus — fell from 22nd to 32nd. Only his gross average remained robust, although it dropped from first to third.

Some of those figures were impacted by the Titans’ poor punt-coverage unit. But there remain questions about his post-injury form — even though it is typical for players coming off of ACL injuries to not return to 100 percent until their second year back.

Furthermore, given the confidence the Broncos have in their training, nutrition and strength-and-conditioning staff, a flyer on Stonehouse would make sense.

Recent significant injuries to Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw didn’t deter the Broncos from adding them on Monday; bringing in Stonehouse would represent a similar swing at a player with an All-Pro ceiling.

THE TIME RYAN STONEHOUSE AND THE BRONCOS COLLIDED

Stonehouse was in the midst of a dazzling rookie season with the Tennessee Titans when the Broncos arrived for a Week 10 game in November 2022. Meanwhile, the Nathaniel Hackett-led Broncos were 3-5 and seemingly refreshed and energized after a bye week. Of course, as with many things during that doomed campaign, any good feelings fizzled quickly in what would end up being a 17-10 loss.

The star of the game was Stonehouse, who just one year earlier was launching missiles in Fort Collins at CSU. Despite being one of three punters in college football to post a gross average over 50.0 yards, Stonehouse went undrafted. And even though the Broncos felt wary enough of their punting situation to add competition for incumbent Sam Martin, they bypassed the bazooka from just up I-25.

Seven months later, Stonehouse made them pay. He dropped three punts inside the Denver 10-yard line, averaged 54 yards a punt — including blasts of 64 and 74 yards — and was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. It was as impactful a performance as a punter could have.

Another sub-4.00 hang time for Waitman. 3.81 seconds. 51 yards, 38 gross after the 13-yard return. This has been a rough day for Waitman, exacerbated by the jarring contrast between him and Stonehouse.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 13, 2022

Of course, the fact that the game’s standout player was a punter bellowed volumes about the game’s overall quality. The two teams involved went a combined 2-12 the rest of the season. The NFL’s best product, this wasn’t.

Except for Stonehouse, who spent the chilly afternoon launching footballs into low-earth orbit over downtown Nashville.

Meanwhile, the Broncos were midway through their one season with left-footed punter Corliss Waitman, who was struggling as he worked under beleaguered special-teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes, who wouldn’t make it through the season with his job.

The #Titans Top 🖐️ Punts from Ryan Stonehouse's record-breaking rookie season

5️⃣ 68 yards vs. Chargers
4️⃣ 61 yards vs. Chargers
3️⃣ 63 yards vs. Chiefs
2️⃣ 70 yards vs. Raiders
1️⃣ 64 yards vs. Broncos pic.twitter.com/GDfLGLCqO3

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) February 1, 2023

IF NOT STONEHOUSE, THEN WHO ELSE?

There are a few other punters lingering on the market.

A former longtime Chicago Bears punter, Pat O’Donnell latched on with the 49ers last season.

Gross average: 45.1 yards, 31st
Net average: 39.3 yards, 30th
Touchback percentage: 4.17 percent, 9th
Inside-the-20 percentage: 33.33 percent, 30th
Hang time: 4.16 seconds, 31st
Percent of punts returned: 41.7 percent, 17th

Trenton Gill lost the punting derby in Denver to Dixon last summer, then latched on with the Buccaneers before being released. Gill was not as consistent as Dixon during practice and preseason-game work, leading to Denver’s decision to roll with its then-incumbent.

Gross average: 43.3 yards, 34th
Net average: 38.7 yards, 32nd
Touchback percentage: 3.7 percent, 5th
Inside-the-20 percentage: 33.3 percent, 29th
Hang time: 4.11 seconds, 33rd
Percent of punts returned: 37 percent, 4th

Two other punters who could be on the radar include veteran Michael Palardy — who landed with the Arizona Cardinals for the final four games last season — and 30-year-old Matt Haack, who punted two seasons (2017-18) in Miami for Darren Rizzi, the Broncos’ new special-teams coordinator.

Haack had a four-game stint with the Giants last season, but hasn’t had a full season of work since 2022. Here’s how he fared in his fill-in work in 2024:

Gross average: 47.0 yards, 18th
Net average: 39.0 yards, 31st
Touchback percentage: 4.76 percent, 11th
Inside-the-20 percentage: 42.86 percent, 14th
Hang time: 4.29 seconds, 22nd
Percent of punts returned: 42.9 percent, 19th