Editor鈥檚 note: This is the seventh in a seven-part series looking at the Buffalo Bills鈥 roster heading into the 2025 NFL offseason.
Sam Martin woke up to the bad news the morning of the Buffalo Bills鈥 season opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 8.
The winds in Orchard Park were gusting at 25 mph. One expects bad weather in November and December as a punter or kicker in Orchard Park. But dealing with rough winds in Week 1 is a bummer.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those things that I鈥檓 learning here, you have to manage your expectations,鈥 Martin said after the season. 鈥淚 go to a dome and average 55. The next week, I鈥檒l average 42 here. You鈥檝e gotta realize what you鈥檙e dealing with. If I get 30 mph crosswinds and I hit a ball that lands 30 yards and rolls 46, I鈥檓 happy as heck about that. Fans might think it鈥檚 a shank but that鈥檚 a win. What鈥檚 the best result, not necessarily the optics?鈥
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Sam Martin, punting in the playoff game against Denver, had a consistent season for the Bills in 2024.
Martin had a much-improved season in his third year with the Bills in 2024 after struggling with inconsistency in 2023.
鈥淚 think the better question is last year was kind of just an outlier,鈥 Martin said. 鈥淚 just had a middle of the season kind of a dip, a four- or five-game stretch that was uncharacteristic of me. I appreciate our coaches here having patience with me and realizing what I鈥檓 capable of. I鈥檓 proud of the season I had. It鈥檚 never easy punting here, especially this year was some of the worst weather I鈥檝e ever played in 鈥 wind-wise, especially. Even as early as August, Arizona and Tennessee (home games), it was 30-40 mile per hour winds.鈥
Martin, who turns 35 next week, is a 12-year NFL veteran who鈥檚 under contract for one more season in 2025. The Bills signed legitimate competition for him last month, adding Jake Camarda to the roster. Camarda, 25, punted for Georgia鈥檚 national championship team in 2021 and had two pretty good seasons as Tampa Bay鈥檚 punter in 2022 and 2023 before losing his job in 2024.
Martin will have the bad-weather-experience advantage in the competition. Martin鈥檚 best punt of the season arguably came in the Dec. 29 home win over the Jets. He was backed up in the Bills鈥 end zone with a 20 mph wind gusting into his face. He hit a 51-yard punt with a 4.62-second hang time (4.5 or better is excellent).
鈥淭hat was one of the harder punts, more difficult because of the wind that game; that was a scary one,鈥 Martin said.
Martin鈥檚 net average was 40.2 yards, which was 27th in the league. It鈥檚 hard to use net average as a true gauge of his effectiveness. At least 40% of his punts came in 鈥減lus territory,鈥 with the Bills鈥 offense having advanced beyond its 40-yard line and presenting Martin with a hang-time situation rather than a boom-it-deep situation.
Meanwhile, place-kicker Tyler Bass is under contract for three more years. He had shaky moments in 2024 but solidified his position entering 2025 by going 6-for-6 in the playoffs, including makes of 51 yards vs. Baltimore and 53 yards vs. Kansas City. He also had the 61-yarder to beat Miami at midseason.
Reid Ferguson this year passed Adam Lingner for most career games by a Bills long snapper. Lingner had 140. Ferguson is at 145, counting playoffs. He鈥檚 due to be a free agent but is a virtual lock to be re-signed for a ninth season in Buffalo.
鈥淩eid鈥檚 not going anywhere,鈥 Martin said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 as consistent as it gets for a snapper. He puts it right on me every time, makes my job a lot easier.鈥
Here鈥檚 a look at the roster situation for the Bills鈥 special teams:
Under contract: Tyler Bass, Sam Martin, Jake Camarda, Brandon Codrington.
Pending free agent: Reid Ferguson.
Key question: How will new special teams coach Chris Tabor, who replaces fired Matthew Smiley, impact the coverage and return units?
Free agency and draft priority: Low.
