Martin averaged 46.7 yards per punt with the Buffalo Bills in 2024.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β A position on the Carolina Panthers’ special teams unit will be occupied by a different player next season.
The Panthers announced on Tuesday that they have signed punter Sam Martin. The 12-year pro most recently played for the Buffalo Bills.
Martin averaged 46.7 yards per punt in 2024 with a net average of 39.8 yards per punt. He landed 25 punts inside the 20-yard line. Those numbers were 21st, 27th, and 18th among league punters, respectively.
Martin has previously played with the Detroit Lions and the Denver Broncos. His best season came with the Lions in 2016 when he averaged 48.5 yards per punt and 44.2 net yards per punt.
Martin played at Appalachian State University in Boone, where he was selected to the AP All-America First Team his senior season in 2012.
Johnny Hekker, the Panthers punter for the last three seasons, became a free agent this offseason. Martin’s signing likely means that Hekker will not return.
In 2024, Hekker ranked 29th in yards per punt (45.7), 17th in net yards per punt (41.5), and 20th in punts inside the 20-yard line (24).
Hekker’s production fell from 2022, his first season with the Panthers. He averaged 48.5 yards per punt and 44.2 net yards per punt, the former mark was a career best for the four-time Pro Bowl punter.
Kicker Eddy PiΓ±eiro, another major piece of the Panthers special teams, is testing the free agency market. It’s unclear what direction the Panthers will go with the pick.
The Panthers have been active in free agency, signing defensive linemen Patrick Jones II and Tershawn Wharton, and extending cornerback Jaycee Horn and guard Brady Christensen, among other deals.
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