NFL training camps are underway, and roster battles are shaping up. The Green Bay Packers will have plenty of position battles to keep an eye on, but the punter competition may be getting overlooked.
In May, the Packers signed XFL punter Daniel Whelan. A $750,000 contract is far from a huge commitment but could be a smart decision. Whelan was on the All-XFL Team last season and comes into camp to battle incumbent punter Pat O’Donnell.
Green Bay Packers: Position Battle At an Unexpected Position
Punting Struggles in 2022
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The 2022 Green Bay Packers had plenty of issues last season. Expectations were high coming into the season, but the playoffs ended up not being in the cards. One of the overlooked downfalls of the team was the punting position. The offense in Green Bay has been good enough over the years not to think much about it. Unfortunately, last season, the offense struggled, and the punting woes had a much bigger impact.
After a mediocre 2022 for Pat O’Donnell, the 2023 numbers were even worse, as he finished 29th in the NFL in average yards per punt. His 44.5-yard average was near the very bottom of the NFL which didn’t help flip the field in games when the offense was struggling. With a lot of question marks surrounding the young offense for the upcoming season, subpar punting could be a big problem.
Salary Cap Savings
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The Green Bay Packers have around $12,500,000 in cap space as training camp gets underway. It’s not looking like any unexpected signings or trades are coming, but finding ways to cut cap space is always good business, especially if it doesn’t hurt on the field.
Whelan was signed for $750,000, which is considerably cheaper than the $2,375,000 cap hit O’Donnell carries. With a $475,000 dead cap hit, the math makes sense for a potential change. Saving just shy of $2,000,000 isn’t a game changer, but the team needs all of the savings they can get with more cap issues in 2024. Every dollar matters, and Whelan has reportedly looked good in camp.
ESPN NFL Nation Packers reporter Rob Demovsky noted how impressive Whelan has been so far. Across 12 punts on Saturday, he averaged 52 yards per punt with 4.56 seconds of hang time. For context, the top punter last season in terms of yards per punt averaged 53.1 yards.
Camp punting is much different than a game setting, especially considering the conditions, but those are encouraging numbers. Unfortunately for O’Donnell, the Packers know what they have with him, and after nine seasons in the league, things aren’t likely to improve drastically.
It’s tough to envision this franchise taking a flyer on an XFL punter, but the numbers don’t lie. The Green Bay Packers were a well below-average punting team in 2022. If they can potentially improve that along with saving cap space, it’s a no-brainer.
The offense will likely have some struggles early in the season, and giving the defense more room to work with would be beneficial. With this season being more of a retooling year anyway, it seems like the perfect time to give an unexpected player a chance to make a difference.
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