An Australian punter who won a starting job as an undrafted rookie in New Orleans before an unexpected release sent him searching for a fresh NFL foothold.
Matthew Hayball's path to the NFL ran through the Australian pathway to college football and an undrafted signing that quickly turned into a starting job. After a solid rookie season punting for the Saints, a surprising camp release in 2025 left him out of the league for a stretch before he found his way back onto an NFL roster.
Path to the league
Born in Australia, Hayball played college football at Florida Atlantic before finishing his career at Vanderbilt, where he was a Ray Guy Award semifinalist and led the nation in net punting average. He went unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft and signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.
Career highlights
Hayball won the Saints' starting punting job as a rookie in 2024, appearing in all 17 games and punting 75 times for a 44.0-yard gross average with 41 kicks downed inside the 20-yard line. His college net average of 44.9 yards per punt was among the best in the country during his final Vanderbilt season.
2025 season recap
Hayball's second season took an abrupt turn when the Saints waived him during training camp in August 2025, ending his run as New Orleans' starter. He did not appear in a regular-season NFL game in 2025 as a result of the release.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Matthew Hayball
- ESPN: Matthew Hayball
Statistics
2025 season and career▶Punting · career
| Year | Team | GP | PUNTS | YDS | AVG | LNG | IN20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | saints | 17 | 75 | 3,303 | 44.0 | 64 | 41 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Punter
- Group
- specialTeam
- College
- Vanderbilt
- Hometown
- Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Age
- 29
- Status
- active
Team
