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Long-time Kansas City Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt is officially retiring from the NFL.

Former Kansas City Chiefs punter and Super Bowl champion Dustin Colquitt is re-signing with the organization, but only for one day, as he officially retires from the NFL.

The Chiefs announced this news on X on June 4, along with photos of Colquitt, head coach Andy Reid and special teams coordinator Dave Toub, who accompanied him as he signed his final NFL contract.

“We have signed Dustin Colquitt to a one-day contract,” the Chiefs relayed. “He will officially retire as a Kansas City Chief ❤️.”

“Congrats on a well-earned retirement, @dustincolquitt2!” The KC social media team added.

Dustin Colquitt Spent 15 NFL Seasons With the Chiefs

When you find a quality punter or kicker in the NFL, you generally stick with them. That’s what the Chiefs did with Colquitt for many years, as the former third-round pick was with Kansas City from 2005 through 2019 — the year Reid and company won their first Super Bowl.

Over that period, Colquitt punted the ball an astounding 1,167 times (including playoffs).

Of course, Colquitt’s 15-year career in KC had its ups and downs, but he was selected to two Pro Bowls as a member of the Chiefs. One in 2012 and another in 2016.

During those two seasons, Colquitt pinned returners inside the 20-yard line at a rate of 50% or higher. His career KC average in this key area was a solid 41.1%.

Among Colquitt’s career highlights are the Super Bowl championship in 2019, an 81-yard punt in 2007, and a career-high net yardage per punt average of 41.1 yards in 2017.

After his time with the Chiefs, Colquitt bounced around the league for a couple of seasons, splitting his final two years between the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns.

Chiefs Hoping for Punter Matt Araiza to Take Next Step in 2025

Current Chiefs punter Matt Araiza did some things really well in year one, but he also left room for improvement in other areas.

For example, his 2024 net yardage average was better than Colquitt’s career-high of 41.1, at 41.5 net yards per punt.

The strong-legged Araiza was less successful pinning teams inside the 20-yard line, however.

If you include the postseason, Araiza was charged with 13 touchbacks in 2024 compared to 26 punts inside the 20. In the playoffs, that ratio was 4 touchbacks compared to just 1 punt inside the 20.

That yielded a poor 10.0% inside the 20 average in the playoffs, which obviously has to be better next winter — should the Chiefs continue their postseason streak.

Araiza’s season-long inside the 20 average was closer to Colquitt’s career average with KC, at 40.3%.

At the end of the day, Araiza is a younger punting prospect known for his booming leg. But Toub has to get him to master the art and technique of punting a little bit more as he continues his Kansas City career.

That’s what Colquitt was able to do in order to stick around in KC for a decade and a half. And that’s what Araiza has yet to prove.

With that said, at just 25 years old in May, the Chiefs seem to feel like they have something in the former sixth-round talent. If they can only find a way to hone his ability and round out the rougher areas of his game.

Michael Obermuller covers the NFL for Heavy.com, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus specialize on the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers, with expert knowledge on each based on years of coverage. An NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate, Michael also provides MLB coverage at Athlon Sports, and his previous bylines include Heavy on Jets, FanDuel’s The Duel, King Fantasy Sports and Pro Football Mania. More about Michael Obermuller

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