Burnip will provide training camp competition for punter Matthew Hayball
There are 46 days that remain until the New Orleans Saints open their 2025 regular season. They’ll do so at home against the Arizona Cardinals under Kellen Moore as their new head coach. At this time, No. 46 is being worn by punter James Burnip. An undrafted rookie, Burnip is trying to overthrow incumbent Matthew Hayball for the punting job. Here’s a look at Burnip’s path to the NFL as our Saints Player of the Day.
- Name (age): James Burnip (24)
- Hometown: Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Position: Punter
- Height, weight: 6-foot-6, 235 pounds
- College: Alabama Crimson Tide
- Relative Athletic Score: N/A
- Drafted: Undrafted in 2025 (Saints)
- NFL experience: Rookie
- 2025 salary cap hit: $843,333
New Orleans has had three different punters in the last three seasons. The last two, Hayball and Lou Hedley, were also former Australian rules football players. James Burnip will now have his opportunity to face off against Matthew Hayball to provide competition for the Saints punting job in 2025.
