Jets fan favorite Thomas Morstead isn’t ready to consider creating a New York-New York bidding war.
The 15-year veteran punter offered a ringing endorsement for new Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial in an interview Thursday with The Post, but he still expressed a desire to re-sign with the Jets before free agency opens on March 11.
Ghobrial spent the last three seasons as the Jets’ assistant special teams coordinator.
“I’m really happy with where I’m at, and I know the Jets were happy with all that I bring to the team,” Morstead said. “I’m not looking at options right now. I’m really hopeful to be back with the Jets, and I think the Jets are hopeful to have me back. Hopefully we get something sorted before free agency.”
Morstead’s ability to pin opponents deep in their own territory and serve as an extra weapon for the Jets’ vaunted defense drew so much recognition from coaches, teammates and fans that he earned the right to lead the team out onto the field waving an American flag for a prime-time game on Nov. 6.
Thomas Morstead returned to the Jets as their punter for the 2023 season. AP The Giants hired Michael Ghobrial as their special teams coordinator Thursday. AP“I’ve gone into free agency a few times now and one of those years I didn’t expect to, so you never know what happens,” Morstead said. “Look, is it a positive to have relationships with people on other teams who know what you bring? Absolutely. But I’m not even thinking about [free agency]. If that were to be the case at some point, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
Thomas Morstead punted 99 times for the Jets during the 2023 season. Charles WenzelbergThe Giants have Jamie Gillan — their punter for the last two seasons — under contract in 2024 for a salary-cap charge of $2.4 million, with a $500,000 dead-cap hit if he is released.
Gillan is coming off the best season of his five-year career but Ghobrial is replacing Thomas McGaughey, who oversaw Giants special teams for six years.
