The Year of the Punter is going out with a bang.
With less than a day remaining before the new year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rewarded punter Bryan Anger with a new contract extension. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports that the five-year deal is worth $17 million (a $3.4 million/year average), per a source.
In his first season with the Bucs, Anger has averaged 42.9 net yards per punt (fourth in NFL) and knocked 32 kicks inside the 20-yard line, good for fifth in the league. Anger's 45.9 yards per punt average is the best in franchise history.
In a year that saw the emergence of punter dancing, punter beefs and punter lauding from Bill Belichick, it's satisfying to see that one of the game's most undervalued positions is getting its due, in more ways than one.