One of the most experienced punters in the NFL will be available in free agency once the window opens on March 12. After three seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Sam Martin will become an unrestricted free agent after the team announced his release on Thursday afternoon.
While Martin was contracted through the 2025 season, Buffalo decided to release him after failed contract negotiations, per Ian Rapoport. The 35-year-old signed a $6 million extension with the team ahead of the 2023 season, making him owed roughly $2 million in 2025.
Martin's semi-surprising release comes after arguably his best season with the team. He averaged 46.7 yards per punt on 54 attempts in 2024, landing 25 of them inside the 20-yard line — his most in a single season with the team.
A 12-year veteran, Martin previously played for the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos. He was drafted by the Lions in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Appalachian State and spent his first seven years with Detroit. While he has never made a Pro Bowl roster, he is known for his consistent leg, averaging 46.5 yards per punt in his career.
Bills remain over salary cap despite Sam Martin release
Buffalo Bills punter Sam Martin (8) hands his gloves to a fan in the stands Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, after a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Martin's release will create minimal cap space for the Bills ahead of the 2025 NFL free agency, but not enough to make much of an impact. Buffalo will still enter the market over $9 million over the limit, the second-worst cap situation in the league, per Over The Cap. Only the New Orleans Saints will be in a worse situation.
With several high-priced contracts on its books, Buffalo added another early in the offseason by extending slot receiver Khalil Shakir. The 25-year-old led the team in 2024 with 821 receiving yards despite preseason projections that rookie Keon Coleman would surpass him as Josh Allen's top target. Shakir's massive $53 million extension will keep him with the Bills through 2029.
Shakir's deal gave him the Bills' longest-lasting contract, surpassing Allen and Spencer Brown, who are both signed through the 2028 season. Fifteen players, most of whom are still on rookie deals, are contracted through 2027, giving Buffalo a plethora of talent for years to come.
The Bills' long-term focus has led to obvious success on the field, but they continue to struggle to get over the hump. Buffalo has not made a Super Bowl since 1993, the final year of its infamous four-year string of appearances that all ended with a loss. The team's current era has won five consecutive AFC East titles but has seen four of its past five seasons end with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.