Browns special teams coordinator Mike Priefer wanted an experienced punter to fill in for ailing Jamie Gillan on short notice and he got one — 17-year veteran Dustin Colquitt.
Colquitt, 39, signed with the Browns on Dec. 10, a day after Gillan tested positive for COVID-19.
Tight end David Njoku and linebacker Anthony Walker are also on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on Dec. 10 ruled all three players out for the Dec. 12 game with the Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The bad news doesn’t end there. Rookie cornerback Greg Newsome fell on the last play of practice Dec. 10. He was diagnosed with a concussion and has been ruled out for the critical showdown with Baltimore. Newsome’s injury means Greedy Williams will start opposite Denzel Ward at cornerback.
Browns rookie linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was 5 years old when Colquitt made his rookie debut punting for the Chiefs in 2005 as a third-round draft pick from Tennessee. Colquitt lasted 15 years in Kansas City. He punted for the Jaguars and Steelers in 2020 and six games with the Falcons in 2021.
“I worked with Mike Priefer in 2006-2008 in K.C. So it was good to see him,” Colquitt said after his first practice with the Browns. “I got to talk to Ms. Debbie, his wife, on the phone this morning, too.
“I knew a handful of guys who came over from Kansas City. It was good to see (tight end Ross) Travis and Kareem (Hunt) again. I told a lot of the guys in the room today, before he started running the ball, he was a personal protector, which is what they call a fullback here. He would go down and cut guys in half – impressive.”
Colquitt has plenty of experience with bad weather. He has punted 1,171 times in his long career and has a 44.9 lifetime average while placing 477 inside the 20. Colquitt was voted to two Pro Bowls and helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV. He punted 23 times with the Falcons this season for a 47.7 average.
Colquitt has held on place kicks throughout his career. He will have the same responsibility Dec. 12 holding for Browns kicker Chase McLaughlin. He is confident he and long snapper Charley Hughlett will be in sync.
“Yeah, just getting used to what they call stuff,” Colquitt said. “Here it’s a ‘mayday field goal,’ and it would be a ‘hurricane’ somewhere else. Everybody has different lingo. You know that through O and D.
“Really, with Charley, you don’t have to do much. He’s one of the best in the league and has done it really well for a long time. He’s a no-look snapper, so that’s a little bit different. You usually see facemask and then ball-snap. This is like nothing, and the ball’s just coming. That and just getting used to exactly what Chase wants. I have to be there for him. I feel like if I do my job right, then he should have a chance at hitting every field goal that he attempts.”
The news about Newsome was announced after Stefanski met with reporters. He said the team is prepared to be without Njoku and tight end Harrison Bryant. Bryant is out with a high ankle sprain.
“We knew Harrison wasn’t going to play in this game, and David was going to be a long shot. So early in the week we had plans that we don’t have those guys,” Stefanski said. “I guess sometimes it’s more of a challenge when after play one you lose a guy. That’s kind of what we have to do as coaches is figure out who is going to be available to us on Sunday and plan accordingly.”
Stefanski is also confident the transition from Gillan to Colquitt will be a smooth one.
“I think so,” he said. “With the specialists in particular, you have a lot of guys and you have veterans in those roles oftentimes who have been there and done that. With him, he has a good understanding of what we do.”
Colquitt’s brother, Britton Colquitt, punted for the Browns from 2016-18.
