The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Tuesday that the club has released punter Dustin Colquitt. After 15 seasons and 238 regular season games played, Colquitt leaves the Chiefs holding the club’s all-time record for most games played in a Chiefs uniform.
“My family and I are immensely grateful for the contributions Dustin and his family have made to the Chiefs over the last 15 years,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “Dustin has cemented his place as one of the greatest punters in the history of the NFL. In addition to his exceptional play on the field, Dustin has been an invaluable member of the Kansas City community, and his dedication and generosity improved the lives of countless families throughout Chiefs Kingdom. Dustin consistently represented himself, the Chiefs and the Kansas City community with integrity and class, and he will always be a member of the Chiefs family.”
“I have a great deal of respect and admiration for Dustin and the incredible career he was able to put together here in Kansas City,” Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach said. “When you have a player that special, and someone who has meant so much to our team and community for so long, it makes these decisions really hard. I certainly enjoyed our time together here and wish him the best as he moves forward.”
“Dustin is one of the greatest Chiefs of all-time and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to coach him these past seven years,” Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said. “The longevity of his career here in Kansas City shows you just how consistently he has performed at a high level. Beyond his impact on the field, he was a great teammate and leader. I will always be a huge Dustin Colquitt fan.”
Colquitt (6-3, 210) played in 238 games in 15 seasons with the Chiefs (2005-19). His career numbers include 1,124 punts for 50,393 yards (44.8 avg.) with 98 touchbacks and 462 landing inside the 20 (3rd-most in NFL history). He holds a career net average of 39.7 yards and a long of 81 yards. Colquitt holds many Chiefs records for punting, including highest career average (44.8), highest net average (39.7) and most career punts inside the 20 (462). Colquitt earned Pro Bowl honors twice, his first following the 2012 season and his most recent following the 2016 season. He holds the record for most games played in franchise history (238). Colquitt was part of the Chiefs Super Bowl LIV victory last season and holds the club’s record for most postseason game appearances (12). Last season he became the second player in team history to accrue 15 seasons with the club (Jerrel Wilson, 15).
The Knoxville, Tenn., native, originally entered the NFL as Kansas City’s third-round draft pick (99th overall) in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was an All-SEC selection at Tennessee and prepped at Bearden High School in Knoxville, Tenn.