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Breaking Down the Dolphins' Punter Move

The Miami Dolphins will be signing former Carolina Panthers punter Michael Palardy

Alain Poupart

The Miami Dolphins will have a new punter in 2021, one who has ties and similarities to his predecessors.

The Dolphins have signed veteran Michael Palardy to a one-year contract, per a league source. The move was first reported by NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero.

Palardy could be signed right away because he was not an unrestricted free agent. He became free to sign with any team at any time after the Carolina Panthers released him in February after he missed the 2020 season because of a knee injury sustained in the offseason.

Palardy's signing means the likely departure of four-year veteran Matt Haack, who will become an unrestricted free agent with the start of the new league year March 17.

RELATED: Which Dolphins Free Agents Will Leave, Which Will Stay

Like Haack, Palardy is a left-footed punter with four years of experience in the NFL — not counting the 2020 season when he was on the Non-Football Injury list.

No details have surfaced in terms of the compensation for Palardy, who earned $1.8 million in base salary in 2020 in the first year of a two-year contract. Haack earned $2.1 million last year after signing his tender as a restricted free agent.

The career numbers for Palardy and Haack are pretty similar also.

Palardy will come to Miami with career averages of 45.3 gross yards and a 40.3 net, while Haack averaged 44.7 gross and 40.1 net in his four seasons with the Dolphins, who he joined as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2017.

Haack's time in Miami will be remembered most for his part in Mountaineer Shot when he took a shotgun snap after the Dolphins initially had lined up for an apparent field goal attempt and then threw a shovel 2-yard touchdown pass to kicker Jason Sanders in a 37-31 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019.

The touchdown was selected as the NFL Play of the Year for 2019 at NFL Honors.

RELATED: The 10 Greatest Plays in Dolphins History

Palardy also has completed a pass during his NFL career, although nothing as dramatic as what Haack did. Palardy threw a 12-yard pass to DeAndrew White late in the third quarter of a 38-6 loss against the Indianapolis Colts three weeks after Haack threw his touchdown pass to Sanders.

The Dolphins actually became the ninth NFL team with which Palardy has signed, following stints with the Jets, Raiders, Rams, Panthers, Ravens, Colts, Browns, Falcons and Panthers again.

Before he signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2014, Palardy punted for the University of Tennessee.

His backup and successor there was Matt Darr, who punted for the Dolphins in 2015 and 2016 before Haack beat him out in training camp in 2017.

Speaking of Darr, he hasn't kicked in the NFL since 2018, though he clearly hasn't given up hopes of getting back into the league.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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