The Seattle Seahawks signed second-year punter Ty Zentner to their practice squad on Friday, providing an alternative if veteran Michael Dickson is unable to play.
Dickson was unavailable in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s victory over the New York Jets due to back spasms.
He was listed as a limited participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald expressed optimism about Dickson’s availability for Sunday but admitted, “We’re not sure right now.”
Zentner, an undrafted punter out of Kansas State, has played in 10 NFL games for three teams over the past two seasons.
His only appearance this year was in Week 9 against the Seahawks during a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams.
Last season, he appeared in four games for the Houston Texans and five games for the Tennessee Titans. Zentner signed with the Rams on November 1 but was released on November 19.
Over his short NFL career, Zentner has averaged 44.1 yards per punt, with 13 of his 45 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
In Week 9 against Seattle, he downed three punts inside the Seahawks’ 20 but also had one blocked by Cody White.
Dickson, a seventh-year Australian punter, has had another strong season for Seattle, averaging 48.7 yards per punt with 18 of his 50 punts downed inside the opposing 20-yard line.
With Dickson sidelined by back spasms in the fourth quarter against the Jets, the Seahawks opted to keep their offense on the field for a fourth down inside their own 40 yard line with just under 10 minutes remaining.
They converted the fourth down and later scored a go-ahead touchdown, securing a 26-21 victory.
“We nominated (Dickson) as the honorary player of the game for not being available – for us having to go for it on fourth down,” Macdonald joked afterward.
To make room for Zentner, veteran offensive tackle Jason Peters was placed on the practice squad injured reserve.
