All good things must come to an end and unfortunately, that’s the case for punter Dustin Colquitt’s future with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The long-tenured punter announced late last night in an emotional message on Instagram that he and the team are parting ways after 15 seasons in Kansas City.
“I have enjoyed my time in Chiefs Kingdom, all things come to an end, sometimes sooner than you hoped, prayed and pleaded for them to,” Colquitt wrote.
“I’ll miss walking into the building and smelling the coffee, talking to everyone,” Colquitt continued. “It took me forever to weave through some of the most loving people you’d ever hope to work with. I was a young kid when I first walked into Arrowhead. Hell, the indoor facility used to be 70 yards long. Holding this post for 15 years has been an honor that I never took for granted. Thank you, KC.”
Colquitt, 37, was drafted with the 99th overall pick in 2005, the final year of the Dick Vermeil era. He was also the last player from former Kansas City GM Carl Peterson’s tenure that remained on the team’s roster.
Colquitt was a beloved fan-favorite dating back to when there wasn’t much to cheer for during the team’s ‘dark’ years from 2007-2012 and leaves Kansas City as the longest-tenured player in Chiefs franchise history, appearing in 238 games.
After 15 seasons, he caps off his Chiefs career with 1,124 punts for 50,393 punt yards, 44,872 net yards, with 462 punts landing inside the 20-yard line and 98 going for touchbacks.
The longest punt Colquitt’s ever kicked was an 81-yarder from 2007 that remains today as the longest punt in Chiefs franchise history.
Colquitt also made the Pro Bowl twice in 2012 and 2016 and will go down in history as a member of the team that won Super Bowl 54.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, releasing Dustin Colquitt will save the Chiefs roughly $2 million against the cap as General Manager Brett Veach tries to build up enough cap space in order to retain coveted defensive tackle Chris Jones and Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Although, replacing one of the best punters in NFL history won’t be an easy one. Youngsters Tyler Newsom and Tommy Townsend will get the first crack at competing for the Chiefs punter role.
For the first time in his career, Dustin Colquitt will be on the free agent market. Whether he decides to hang up the cleats as a Chief or sign with another team for the 2020 NFL season will be something to keep an eye on.
