Patriots sign punter for second stint in New England

The Patriots once again have a punter on their roster. On Thursday, the team signed 27-year-old lefty Corliss Waitman according to the league’s transaction wire. The details of the signing have not be reported.

Waitman, who was born in Belgium where his dad was playing professional basketball, has been in the NFL since 2020, when he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a UDFA out of South Alabama. He spent his rookie year on the practice squad.

• Waitman was waived by the Steelers in the spring of 2021, and ended up spending training camp with the Las Vegas Raiders. Released prior to final roster cuts, he remain unsigned for three months before signing with the Patriots’ practice squad in November. The Steelers then signed him off the Patriots’ practice squad to their active roster, and he appeared in two games at the end of the season.

  Last year, Waitman was claimed off waivers by the Denver Broncos, then won the punting job over veteran Sam Martin in training camp. He ended up leading the NFL with 96 punts on the season. He finished ranked 16th in the NFL with a 41.5 net yards per punt average, with 30 punts downed inside the 20 and six touchbacks.

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• Waitman is now the lone punter on the Patriots’ roster, following the release of Jake Bailey last week. Assuming his deal doesn’t contain significant money, his signing likely doesn’t rule out the Patriots adding another punter in free agency or the draft.

  Something to watch with Waitman when the team begins practicing is whether or not the team has him working on kickoffs. That spot was an issue for the Patriots when Bailey got hurt last year. Waitman has never attempted a kickoff in 19 NFL games, but he did handle kickoff responsibilities in college.

• Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.