Punter Ryan Stonehouse has a big leg. It wasn’t big enough to get him a fourth season in Tennessee.
The Titans opted not to re-sign Stonehouse, nor to apply a restricted free agency tender. He left via free agency for the Dolphins.
“I was surprised,” Stonehouse told reporters earlier this week regarding Tennessee’s decision to move on. “I think a lot of other people were as well. I truly didn’t expect it. I’m a guy that I like to be where my feet are, been training in that building ever since I stepped foot in it three years ago. I thought it would be a little bit different, just more clarity would have been nice, but it is what it is and I’m excited for this new opportunity.”
He approaches the new opportunity with a familiar motivation.
“I’ve certainly built my career off of not being the first one picked,” Stonehouse said. “Obviously, I wasn’t drafted. I didn’t have very many opportunities after the draft — Tennessee was one of them. So I kind of took that as a chip on my shoulder and I truly felt like that’s kind of where my career has taken me. Whether that was college, I didn’t really have very many scholarship offers. Colorado State took a chance on me. Same what I said in high school, I only played on varsity one year; I had to compete for that job. So I really truly have built a career off of competition. Yeah, I think there was some things about natural fits and I actually truly believe the Dolphins are the best fit for me. I’ve kind of come to realize that being in the league for three years now that fit matters so much and understanding the player that I am matters a lot — how to use me as a weapon is truly something that I thank Craig Aukerman and Chase Blackburn for when they brought me into Tennessee. It was very important for me to have a good fit, so I truly believe Miami is that place.”
Stonehouse averaged 53.1 gross yards per punt in 2022 and in 2023. Last year, he averaged 50.6 yards per punt. He was named a second-team All-Pro as a rookie.
