Squatting Didn't Agree with Dolphins Punter Jake Bailey

The newly-signed punter blamed that exercise for his struggles with the Patriots, who cut him last year after he signed a lucrative contract

Charles LeClaire - USA Today Sports

Subhead: New Dolphins punter Jake Bailey blames squatting for last season's struggles with Patriots

Don't be surprised when Jake Bailey sits out any squatting sessions the Miami Dolphins might have during their offseason workouts.

According to the Dolphins' newly signed punter, the squatting sessions he participated in with the New England Patriots last season were the reason he had a disappointing year.

"A lot of it had to do with squatting a ton. I didn't grow up loading my back with back squats….I tried to start something new and be part of the program and it backfired the whole season," said Bailey, who has averaged 45.9 yards per punt, and 41.5 net yards per punt in his first four seasons in the NFL.

Last season, he averaged a career low 42.1 yards per punt, and 35.1 net yards per punt before being placed on injured reserve after nine games.

“I didn't feel like myself the whole year," Bailey told the South Florida media on Tuesday. "I was squatting a lot and getting treatment on my back since week one.”

How is Bailey from a health standpoint now?

"Haven't squatted since week 15 and feel pretty good,” he said.

The Dolphins are hoping Bailey can be an effective replacement for Thomas Morstead, who signed with the New York Jets this offseason.

Morstead had a 46.4 gross punting average, which was the team's best since 2015 when Matt Darr was at 47.6. Morstead also had a remarkable 28 punts inside the 20 against only two touchbacks, with the 14-to-1 ratio coming in fourth in the entire NFL.

But where Morstead came up a bit short was in net punting average, because his 40.6 figure ranked 22nd in the NFL.

The hope is that Bailey will regain his old form and return to being a Pro Bowl caliber punter, like he was in 2020.

Bailey’s aware he’s got plenty to prove with his new team.

"I am the best punter in the league in my own head,” he said, “I'm going to go out there and perform to the best of my ability every time I touch the football.”

The hope is that he'll be able to turn the page on last season, which is why it's a positive that his odd saga with the Patriots has come to a conclusion with a settlement apparently being reached on a grievance he filed earlier this year.

In the span of seven months, Bailey went from signing one of the NFL's most lucrative extensions for a punter to being suspended and then cut by New England.

His struggles landed him on injured reserve after nine games, and then he was suspended for the final two games of the season before being released. 

The punter said he didn’t know why he’d been suspended and filed a grievance against the team, because it allowed them to void his guaranteed money.

“While Jake Bailey was on IR he never missed a single treatment, meeting or practice,” Bailey’s agent Doug Hendrickson said back in January. “He was hoping to come off IR to play (before the end of the season), but Jake was informed he was being suspended these last two games. 

"This comes as a surprise given his full participation during injury reserve. We have filed a grievance to fight this unknown suspension.”

Bailey had $2.115 million in guaranteed salary for 2023, and by suspending him the Patriots were allowed to void his contract.

That grievance has seemingly been settled, according to Bailey, who signed a one-year deal worth $1.2 million with the Dolphins, which guaranteed him $940,000.

“The details of it are between me and the Patriots. The grievance is done, but everything surrounding it is in the past,” Bailey said. “There is a lot to unpack and a lot of it is between them and me.

“Confusion was a lot of it, and we’re past it now at this point,” Bailey continued. “It’s something that happened and something that’s unfortunate for both sides.”