Punter Jamie Gillan is getting another shot with the New York Giants

Punter Jamie Gillan was coming off the worst year of his career when the New York Giants signed him in 2022. He was a serviceable punter last year and flashed some impressive power, but he was still far from perfect. His performance was enough to earn a two-year contract, but expectations will be higher as Gillan continues to mature. Does he have what it takes to turn the Giants’ punting game into one of the team’s strengths?

By the numbers

Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 207
Age: 25
Position: Punter
Experience: 5
Contract: Year 1 of two-year, $4 million deal; $1 million guaranteed | 2023 cap hit: $1.6 million

Career to date

Gillan had a slightly untraditional start to his football career. After moving from Scotland to Maryland, he watched his high school team’s kicker knock the ball into his own offensive lineman, and volunteered for the job. It was there that he earned his nickname as the “Scottish Hammer.”

Gillan was excellent as a rookie with the Cleveland Browns in 2019. He averaged 46.2 yards on 63 punts and allowed just 151 return yards, with 28 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. That performance earned him a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team.

However, Gillan’s performance dropped after his rookie year. He was released by the Browns in December 2021, having appeared in 44 games for them.

The Giants signed Gillan in early 2022 after a brief stint on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad. He turned in decent results in his first season at MetLife. His 46.8 yards per punt were a career best but still ranked 17th in the NFL, and his 26 punts inside the 20-yard line ranked 15th. His 12.2% touchback percentage was the worst of his career.

2023 outlook

The Giants retained their entire kicking unit, with Gillan returning alongside kicker Graham Gano and long snapper Casey Kreiter. Gillan certainly wasn’t perfect last year, but he did enough to convince the Giants’ brass to retain him. More important than any of his stats was the fact that he improved drastically from his poor 2021 season.

Errors were too common with Gillan last year, as he botched punts in Weeks 10 and 11, along with other mistakes. But those will hopefully become less frequent as he continues to gain experience. And the power in his left leg is something that can’t be taught.