The Scottish Hammer has become a reliable punter for New York
The New York Giants took a chance on punter Jamie Gillan in 2022, a year after a rough season cost him his job with the Cleveland Browns. ‘The Scottish Hammer’ has responded by continuing to hone his craft and by becoming a quality, consistent punter.
Gillan, who will be 27 next season, can be an unrestricted free agent. Should the Giants make sure he is punting for them next season?
Reasons to keep Gillan
Gillan had a career-low 43.7 yards per punt average in 2024, but that might have had something to do with the hamstring injury that landed him on IR for four games. He is a quality punter who has become more consistent with his placement over the years.
Gillan’s touchback percentage of 3.6 in 2024 was his best in three seasons with the Giants, and third-best in the NFL. Gillan had a career-best 48.2% of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line, seventh in the league. Gillan also averaged a solid 40.5 net yards per punt.
Reasons to let him go
The only real reason to even consider letting him go to free agency would be to save a few dollars.
The verdict
Keep him. He just completed a two-year, $4 million contract and it will likely take a modest raise from $2 million per year, but it’s worth it. We see the importance of the kicking game week after week in the NFL, and risking not having a good one to save a little bit of salary cap space is not smart. Why create a problem where there isn’t one?
