The Bills are making a roster move in response to punter Sam Martin’s hamstring injury after a blocked field goal in Monday’s game. Despite Martin continuing to punt in the wild-card win, the team is taking precautions by bringing in Matt Haack as an emergency punter, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Haack, who previously punted for the Bills in 2021, will fill the practice squad spot left open after Leonard Fournette was cut, as reported by the Buffalo News’ Katherine Fitzgerald.
Although Haack was a full-time punter from 2017 to 2022, he has served as an emergency option this season. The Browns brought him in for their Week 17 game when Corey Bojorquez was dealing with an injury. In 2022, Haack played for the Colts, taking over after Rigoberto Sanchez was lost during a late-summer workout. Haack, a seven-year veteran, spent the entire previous season with the Colts. Notably, during his one-off with the Bills in 2021, he averaged a career-low 42.9 yards per punt, facing challenging conditions for specialists in Buffalo. However, in every other season, he has maintained an average of at least 44.6 yards per punt.
Sam Martin, who has been Buffalo’s punter for the past two seasons, suffered a hamstring injury while trying to prevent the Steelers from returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the second quarter of Monday’s game. In case Martin cannot play against the Chiefs on Sunday, the Bills have a familiar option in Haack as a backup. The possibility of placing Martin on injured reserve (IR) is also mentioned as an option to save a roster spot, but that would mean he is done for the season.
