A Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro punter out of Stanford who led the NFL in net punting average during his Patriots peak.
Jake Bailey burst onto the scene with New England as one of the league's most dominant punters before injuries and a release shook up his career path. After finding stability with Miami, he heads into 2026 with a new team, still carrying the leg that once made him the NFL's best.
Path to the league
Bailey earned All-Pac-12 recognition three times at Stanford and left as the school's all-time leader in career punting average at 43.81 yards, including an 84-yard punt that stands as the longest in program history. The New England Patriots traded up to select him at No. 163 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he won the starting job as a rookie.
Career highlights
Bailey earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors in 2020 after leading the NFL with a 45.6 net punting average. Over his time in New England he punted 222 times for a 45.9-yard average across 58 games before being released in March 2023. He then signed with the Miami Dolphins, where he punted from 2023 through 2025.
2025 season recap
Bailey played all 17 games for Miami in 2025, punting 63 times for 3,005 yards, a 47.7-yard gross average and a 42.6-yard net average. He signed a three-year, $9 million deal with Atlanta in March 2026, reuniting with special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, who held the same role in Miami the previous season.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jake Bailey (American football)
- Pro Football Reference: Jake Bailey
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Punting
17 games played▶Punting · career
| Year | Team | GP | PUNTS | YDS | AVG | LNG | IN20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | dolphins | 17 | 63 | 3,005 | 47.7 | 64 | 21 |
| 2024 | dolphins | 17 | 56 | 2,639 | 47.1 | 64 | 22 |
| 2023 | dolphins | 17 | 53 | 2,424 | 45.7 | 66 | 20 |
| 2022 | patriots | 9 | 37 | 1,557 | 42.1 | 62 | 12 |
| 2021 | patriots | 17 | 49 | 2,316 | 47.3 | 71 | 23 |
| 2020 | patriots | 16 | 55 | 2,678 | 48.7 | 71 | 31 |
| 2019 | patriots | 16 | 81 | 3,638 | 44.9 | 65 | 36 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Punter
- Group
- specialTeam
- College
- Stanford
- Hometown
- Solana Beach, CA, USA
- Age
- 29
- Status
- active
Team
