Morstead and Jets Still on Mission, 'Got to Find a Way to Win'

Former Super Bowl champion determined to lead by example in wake of Aaron Rodgers's injury

Thomas Morstead has naturally encountered his fair share of adversity over 14+ seasons in the National Football League. 

The New York Jets' decorated punter had past experience to rely on when the team lost its starting quarterback in Week 1.

"The reality of the situation is important, acknowledging that the plan that we had is no longer in place," said Morstead on the mindset moving forward without four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers engineering the offense.

As devastating and unexpected as the Rodgers injury was, NFL teams routinely face changing circumstances and are forced to respond accordingly. 

"Maybe this isn't exactly what everybody thought they were signing up for at the beginning of season and that's okay. Things like this happen to every team. Some things are more drastic than others, but every team has to adjust throughout the season," said Morstead, who entered the league in 2009 as a fifth-round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints.

It happened to Morstead and the Miami Dolphins in 2022 when starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was unavailable for the team's AFC Wildcard Game in Buffalo due to a head injury. With third-stringer Skylar Thompson at the controls, the Dolphins pushed the mighty Bills to the brink in an eventual three-point loss.

As for the 2023 Jets, they've managed to go toe-to-toe with AFC heavyweights Buffalo and Kansas City but have only one win to show for the season-opening four-game stretch.

"The people that you bring into the organization is so important because you're gonna deal with hard times. Having people that are gonna handle that the right way has really helped," said Morstead. "I wouldn't say we've been perfect, but I think we've done a good job of hanging in there. At the end of the day, it's a results-driven business, so we got to find a way to win."

The Jets have a chance to get an important conference win over Denver and stop the team's three-game slide in Week 5.

"How you want to be viewed? I mean, your kids are watching how you're gonna handle things. You don't get a million cracks at the whip. You got to make the most of every opportunity," said Morstead. "Just lay down like the season's over, that's not acceptable. I don't want to be somebody that operates like that."

Morstead's M.O. has been "elite consistency" and the 37-year-old has brought plenty of it to the Jets. Morstead ranks near the top-third of the league in net punting average (43.0) and has pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line eight times in 22 punts. 

"As a specialist, the best way to try to lead is just by doing your job at a high level," said Morstead. "I love being counted on. There's nothing like game day and being a part of a team. Being a part of this team has been really, really cool."

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