The Miami Dolphins are reportedly signing punter Ryan Stonehouse, who previously played for the Tennessee Titans. While the details of the deal have not been disclosed, this move is part of Miami’s ongoing reshaping of their special teams unit.
If the Dolphins release Jake Bailey, which is expected, they will free up $1.975 million in cap space, though they will carry $550,000 in dead money. Notably, the Dolphins’ new special teams coordinator has worked with Stonehouse during his early years in the NFL when Stonehouse led the league in punting yards for two consecutive seasons.
Stonehouse went undrafted in 2022 but made a name for himself with the Titans. In his first season, he was named a second-team All-Pro and finished as the NFL leader in punting yards. He continued his strong performance in 2023, averaging 53.1 yards per punt in both seasons. In 2023, his average was 50.6 yards per punt.
By contrast, Bailey has never reached a 50-yard average in any season during his career. Stonehouse has achieved this feat in all three of his seasons. However, Stonehouse’s 2024 season did see some struggles, including two punts being blocked, and he also had a career-low number of punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
For Bailey, during his two seasons with Miami, he recorded 20 and 22 punts inside the 20-yard line, which is lower than Stonehouse’s totals in previous years (30 in 2022 and 28 in 2023). Stonehouse’s 2024 season was his worst statistically, but his performance was not significantly impacted by an injury to his non-kicking leg in 2023, where he dealt with an ACL, MCL, and broken bone but still returned to action without a decline in performance.
Stonehouse also had three kickoffs in 2022, with two of them resulting in touchbacks. This move represents a major upgrade in the Dolphins’ special teams unit, as Jake Bailey’s punting was considered below average in the league, while Stonehouse brings a much stronger leg and more consistent performance.