Mitch Wishnowsky Bio
Mitch Wishnowsky is an Australian professional American football punter for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Born on March 3, 1992, in Gosnells, Western Australia, he played college football for the Santa Barbara City Vaqueros and the Utah Utes, where he won the Ray Guy Award in 2016 as the nation’s top college punter. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, Wishnowsky became one of the most consistent Australian-born punters in league history. He later played briefly for the Washington Commanders before joining the Buffalo Bills in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Mitchell Wishnowsky was born on 3 March 1992 in Gosnells, a suburb of Perth in Western Australia. He attended Lumen Christi College from 2005 to 2009, but he left secondary school at age 16 to take a job as a glazier. Growing up in Australia, Wishnowsky played Australian rules football and competed for Perth in the Western Australian Football League Reserves. He was forced to give up full-contact Australian rules at age 18 because of repeated shoulder injuries.
Even after stepping away from the contact version of the sport, Wishnowsky kept playing a flag version of Australian rules football with friends. One of those friends had a connection to Prokick Australia, a Melbourne-based training centre that helps convert Australian rules players into American-style punters. Inspired by the opportunity, Wishnowsky left his glazing job and moved across the country in 2013 to enroll in Prokick, where he spent a year training and reshaping his athletic future.
Path to American Football
While Wishnowsky was at Prokick Australia, the University of Utah had already benefited from another Prokick graduate, Tom Hackett, and was so pleased with his performance that the program arranged to keep a scholarship waiting for Wishnowsky once Hackett’s college career ended. Because Wishnowsky still needed time to satisfy NCAA eligibility rules, he enrolled at Santa Barbara City College in 2014 and punted for the Vaqueros. He then redshirted in 2015, remaining in Santa Barbara to finish his associate degree and preserve his eligibility for a Division I program.
Wishnowsky joined the Utah Utes in 2016 and immediately became one of the top punters in college football. That season he averaged 47.7 yards per punt, finished second in the Football Bowl Subdivision in punting average, and led the nation with 17 punts downed inside the opponent’s 10-yard line. He capped the year by winning the Ray Guy Award and being named a unanimous All-American. His 2017 season remained strong with a 43.9-yard average and 10 punts inside the 10, and he continued to earn First-team All-Pac-12 honors through 2018.
Mitch Wishnowsky Career
Early Career (2016-2018)
Wishnowsky’s three seasons at the University of Utah established him as one of the most decorated punters in program history. He earned First-team All-Pac-12 recognition in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and he added Second-team All-American honors in both 2017 and 2018 to go with his 2016 unanimous selection. His blend of Australian rules background and American punting technique made him a sought-after prospect heading into the 2019 NFL Draft.
San Francisco 49ers Breakthrough (2019-2020)
Wishnowsky was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round, 110th overall, of the 2019 NFL Draft, becoming the first punter taken that year. He signed a four-year contract on 30 April 2019 and made an immediate impact. In his rookie year he landed five punts inside the 20-yard line with a long of 50 yards in a Week 9 win over the Arizona Cardinals, earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He finished 2019 with 52 punts and a 44.87-yard average and reached Super Bowl LIV, where the 49ers fell 31-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the 2020 season Wishnowsky elevated his performance, posting 66 punts for a 46.86-yard average. His consistent placement and booming leg made him a key piece of the 49ers’ special teams unit and helped anchor one of the league’s most reliable coverage groups during the early portion of his career.
49ers Prime Years (2021-2024)
The 2021 season brought one of the most unusual chapters of Wishnowsky’s career. In Week 2 he averaged 45.2 yards per punt with three kicks inside the 20 and one inside the five, earning another NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award. Later that season, with kicker Robbie Gould injured, Wishnowsky stepped in as the team’s kicker against the Seattle Seahawks on 3 October 2021, converting one of two extra points and missing a 41-yard field goal. He became the first Australian to score a point in an NFL game. He finished 2021 with 57 punts for a 45.02-yard average.
On 16 September 2022, Wishnowsky signed a four-year, $13 million contract extension with the 49ers, securing his long-term role in San Francisco. He posted 61 punts for a 43.87-yard average in 2022 and 52 punts for a 47.69-yard average in 2023. In Week 5 of the 2024 season, after kicker Jake Moody was injured during a kickoff, Wishnowsky handled kicking duties against the Arizona Cardinals and made his first career field goal, a 26-yard kick. He was placed on injured reserve on 16 November 2024 and finished the year with 22 punts for a 45.18-yard average. The 49ers released him on 28 May 2025.
Washington Commanders Era (2025)
On 10 September 2025, Wishnowsky signed with the practice squad of the Washington Commanders as a contingency plan for Tress Way, who was managing a back injury. When Way stayed healthy through the team’s Week 2 game against the Green Bay Packers, the Commanders released Wishnowsky on 13 September 2025, ending a brief stop in Washington.
Buffalo Bills Era (2025-Present)
On 30 September 2025, Wishnowsky signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills, replacing fellow Australian punter Cameron Johnston, who had been placed on injured reserve. The move reunited him with one of the league’s most competitive rosters and gave him a chance to finish the 2025 season in a postseason-contending environment.
Driving Style and Strengths
Wishnowsky’s background in Australian rules football gives him a rugby-style approach to punting that emphasizes directional control, hang time, and tackling-sized athleticism. He is particularly effective at placing punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and his willingness to take on emergency kicking duties has made him an unusually versatile special teams weapon.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his 2019 Super Bowl appearance, Wishnowsky became the first Australian to score a point in an NFL game during the 2021 season and made his first career field goal in 2024 after stepping in for an injured kicker. He also became one of the most decorated college punters of his era with the Ray Guy Award, a unanimous All-American selection, and three First-team All-Pac-12 honors.
Mitch Wishnowsky Career Wins
Across his college and professional career, Mitch Wishnowsky has built a résumé defined by consistent placement, strong averages, and postseason success. His biggest individual trophy came with the 2016 Ray Guy Award, while his professional résumé includes reaching Super Bowl LIV as a rookie and earning multiple NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
College and NFL Highlights
At Utah, Wishnowsky led the nation in punts downed inside the opponent’s 10-yard line with 17 in 2016 and added 10 more in 2017. In the NFL, he earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in 2019 and 2021, reached Super Bowl LIV in his rookie year, and made history in 2021 as the first Australian to score a point in an NFL game.
Other Wins and Performances
Wishnowsky has added three First-team All-Pac-12 selections (2016, 2017, 2018), a unanimous All-American nod in 2016, and Second-team All-American honors in 2017 and 2018, along with a four-year, $13 million contract extension from the 49ers in 2022 that reflected his value as a long-term special teams anchor.
Mitch Wishnowsky Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Wishnowsky grew up in Gosnells, Western Australia, with his family, and his Australian roots shaped the unusual athletic path that eventually carried him from local Australian rules football fields to NFL stadiums. His move into the Prokick Australia program was made possible through friends and mentors in the Australian football community, including the program that previously sent Tom Hackett to Utah.
Personal Life
Mitch Wishnowsky is married to his wife, Maddie, and the couple has a daughter. The family relocated with him during his stops in San Francisco, Washington, and Buffalo as he continued his professional career.
2025 Season Performance
Wishnowsky’s 2025 season has been one of the most eventful of his career. After being released by the San Francisco 49ers on 28 May 2025, he signed with the Washington Commanders’ practice squad on 10 September as a contingency for Tress Way, only to be released three days later once Way remained healthy. He quickly landed on his feet, signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills on 30 September 2025 after Cameron Johnston went on injured reserve.
The Bills added Wishnowsky to inject veteran stability into a special teams group chasing a deep playoff run, and his track record of pinning opponents and handling emergency kicking duties made him a logical fit. His early work in Buffalo is expected to focus on directional punting and helping the coverage units maintain field position, areas where he has excelled throughout his career.
Looking ahead, Wishnowsky’s current contract runs through 2026, giving him a chance to solidify his role in Buffalo and contribute to a contender. With a Pro Bowl-caliber leg and a history of performing in high-leverage games, he remains one of the most reliable Australian-born specialists in the NFL.