Thomas Morstead wants to return to the Miami Dolphins

Thomas Morstead finished his 14th NFL season and is already looking ahead to the 2023 season, his 15th, and the Miami Dolphins is where he wants to play.

Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Morstead, a few days removed from his exit interview with the Miami Dolphins, the just-outside-of-Houston Texas native is already looking ahead to his future, which includes playing football in the NFL.

Morstead was quick to point out that he wants to continue playing but it comes down to the phone ringing from a team asking him to join them, a call he fully expects to receive. Last year, he reached out to the Dolphins through his agent and that led to a one-year deal.

According to Morstead, his exit interview went well and why wouldn’t it have? Morstead was as consistently good this year as he has been over his entire career.

I asked him about his future and he expressed the singular fact that he has a family that supports him. His kids, according to Morstead, think it’s pretty “cool” that dad is on tv. They are at the age when they can enjoy watching him play. How many NFL players last long enough to have children watch them?

Family is important to Thomas Morstead. Without their support, he would probably not be playing. He said every year he tries to represent his family, their values, and himself as he tries to be a mentor to others.

Morstead was well-received in the Dolphins locker room this year and he said he tried to help mentor the younger players both on and off the field. Having 14 years of NFL experience, it doesn’t matter what position you play, longevity is rare in the league and that is respected by others.

It’s rare in the NFL to find players that love the game as an entirety. For Morstead that includes training camps and off-season work as well as gamedays in the season. Morstead has stayed the course with his workout regime, he is a gym rat. He has a process, a regiment if you will and he keeps the same energy all year long both at home and with whichever team he is on.

Morstead is a reliable punter with elite consistency. He likened himself to a golfer. Some can knock the heck out of a Big Bertha and make par on a par 5 but if you can hit a three-wood consistently as well, you can still birdie the same hole. Morstead is the 3-wood and is as consistent as they come.

To give you more on how Thomas Morstead approaches the game, I asked him what his favorite moment was from this past season. His response? The Butt Punt.

He laughed a bit and said that it sounds odd but it wasn’t the punt itself, it was what the team immediately did afterward. Miami had just given up the safety to the Bills when Morstead punted the ball 74 yards to the Buffalo six and the special teams allowed only an 11-yard return.

For Morstead, that was the highlight. The way the team responded to the adversity. How they rallied together to stop the Bills on that final possession to win the game. It was an all-around team effort and that stands out.

Morstead spent years with Sean Payton, so what does he think of a quirky Mike McDaniel? “I’ve never met anyone like him” Morstead immediately said. He called him authentic and doesn’t act like anyone but himself. I clarified and asked if McDaniel was the same person in the locker room as the guy fans see at the podium or in an interview and he said “absolutely”.

That is refreshing because so many coaches are one way with the players and so different with fans and media. McDaniel, Morstead believes, has what “it takes to be successful”. He is thoughtful and “super smart”.

Thomas Morstead wants to return to the Miami Dolphins. His time may have been one year, but the impression was impactful. The Dolphins would be smart to make the call.

2023 will not be the last season Thomas Morstead plays in the NFL. There was no hint of a retirement. He is in great shape, loves the competition, and has the support of his family. His leg is still drilling punts downfield and pinning opposing teams inside the 20.

After years of playing soccer as a kid, learning to kick the ball as a goalie, and participating in a punt, pass, and kick competitions, the love of a football spiraling off his foot hasn’t waned.

What advice would Morstead give your kid if he wanted to start learning to punt? For starters, he said that kids should check out Kohlskicking.com where their instructional videos and some of the best kickers from the NFL and college have posted videos as well. He said younger kids should start with a more forgiving rugby ball instead of a football because it’s easier to practice with. He said don’t measure distance, work on getting the spiral down, the distance will come later.

Overall, my time with Morstead was too short. He is a guy that simply relates to every other guy or gal you may be you meet on the street. There is nothing showy, nothing egotistical, he is the guy next door who happens to play in the NFL, for 14 years, and there doesn’t seem any signs of him stopping soon.

Will he be back with the Dolphins? Hopefully.