Because he’s a three-time Pro Bowler, Andy Lee seemed like a heavy favorite to regain his job after recovering from a hamstring injury that limited him to nine games in 2016. But Michael Palardy has seemingly matched Lee kick-for-kick from the spring through the preseason.
It’s often silly to read much into punting stats, but for what it’s worth, here’s a look at some preseason results:
- Palardy - six punts, 44.7 net average, four punts placed inside the 20-yard line
- Lee - five punts, 43.8 net average, two punts places inside the 20
Over the past month, head coach Ron Rivera has said multiple times that the race for punting job was closer than the kicking competition between incumbent Graham Gano and seventh-round pick Harrison Butker.