The Ray Guy Award winner from Perth turned an unusual American football path into a two-time Super Bowl trip and now anchors the Bills' punting game.
Mitch Wishnowsky is one of the rare Australians to carve out a lasting NFL career, and he has done it with a boot that consistently pins opponents deep. After six seasons in San Francisco, he now handles punting duties for Buffalo, bringing a track record of directional accuracy and elite hang time to a contender.
Path to the league
Wishnowsky started his college career at Santa Barbara City College before transferring to Utah, where he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in all three seasons and won the Ray Guy Award as college football's top punter in 2016 as a unanimous All-American. The 49ers drafted him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, an unusually high pick for a punter.
Career highlights
Wishnowsky spent six seasons with San Francisco (2019-2024), helping the 49ers reach two Super Bowls. He signed a four-year extension with the team and built a career average of 45.6 yards per punt, developing a reputation for directional punting that limits return opportunities more than raw distance stats suggest.
2025 season recap
After San Francisco released him in May 2025 following a back injury that cost him the final eight games of 2024, Wishnowsky joined the Bills. He punted 38 times for a 45.3-yard average and 41.3 net yards per punt, with a 4.44-second average hang time that helped Buffalo allow the fewest punt return yards among qualifying teams. He was not blocked once all season and was re-signed for 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Mitch Wishnowsky
- Pro Football Reference: Mitch Wishnowsky
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Punting
13 games played▶Punting · career
| Year | Team | GP | PUNTS | YDS | AVG | LNG | IN20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | bills | 13 | 38 | 1,723 | 45.3 | 62 | 18 |
| 2024 | 49ers | 9 | 22 | 994 | 45.2 | 58 | 11 |
| 2023 | 49ers | 17 | 52 | 2,480 | 47.7 | 67 | 26 |
| 2022 | 49ers | 17 | 61 | 2,676 | 43.9 | 74 | 32 |
| 2021 | 49ers | 17 | 57 | 2,566 | 45.0 | 67 | 21 |
| 2020 | 49ers | 16 | 66 | 3,093 | 46.9 | 60 | 25 |
| 2019 | 49ers | 16 | 52 | 2,333 | 44.9 | 65 | 23 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Punter
- Group
- specialTeam
- College
- Utah
- Hometown
- Perth, Australia
- Age
- 34
- Status
- active
Team
