Mitch Wishnowsky Bio
Mitchell Wishnowsky, known professionally as Mitch Wishnowsky, is an Australian professional American football punter for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Born on 3 March 1992 in Gosnells, Western Australia, he developed his specialty skills through the Prokick Australia program in Melbourne and went on to star for the Utah Utes. Wishnowsky built his reputation on a strong leg, directional control, and steady placement, which made him one of the most reliable punters in the league.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, Wishnowsky reached the Super Bowl as a rookie and spent the bulk of his early NFL career with San Francisco. After brief stops with the Washington Commanders practice squad in 2025, he signed with the Buffalo Bills, where he has continued his role as a core special teams contributor.
Early Life and Background
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, though he left secondary school at 16 to train and work as a glazier. Growing up in Western Australia, he played Australian rules football, including a stint with Perth in the WAFL Reserves.
His promising career in Australian rules ended at age 18 when repeated shoulder injuries made full-contact play too risky. Even after giving up the tackle version of the game, he continued playing a flag form of the sport with friends, and one of those friends had a tie to Prokick Australia, the Melbourne training center that develops punters for American football. Wishnowsky left his job, relocated across the country, and enrolled at Prokick in 2013.
After a year of focused training, Utah agreed with Prokick director Nathan Chapman to hold a scholarship for him until the program could process his NCAA eligibility. To preserve that clock, Wishnowsky enrolled at Santa Barbara City College in 2014, where he punted for the Vaqueros and completed an associate degree, redshirting in 2015 before joining the Utes.
Path to American Football
Wishnowsky’s pivot to American football ran through Prokick Australia, which has produced a long line of successful NFL punters by converting skilled Australian rules kickers. His year of training in Melbourne covered technique, conditioning, and the tactical demands of American punting, including directional kicking and hang time.
At Santa Barbara City College, he refined his craft as a junior college punter and adjusted to the rhythms of American football. His combination of raw leg strength and accuracy persuaded the Utah program to honor the agreement made with Chapman, and Wishnowsky joined the Utes once his eligibility was cleared.
Mitch Wishnowsky Career
Early Career (2014–2018)
Wishnowsky’s college arc began at Santa Barbara City College in 2014, where he handled punting duties for the Vaqueros and worked on his game under junior college competition. He redshirted in 2015, conserving a year of NCAA eligibility while continuing to train in Santa Barbara.
After transferring to the University of Utah, he became one of the top punters in college football. In 2016, he won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best punter, was named a unanimous All-American, and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He finished second in FBS in punting average at 47.7 yards and led the country with 17 punts downed inside the opponent’s 10-yard line. He added second-team All-American recognition in 2017 and 2018, along with two more first-team All-Pac-12 selections.
San Francisco 49ers Breakthrough (2019–2024)
Wishnowsky was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round, 110th overall, of the 2019 NFL Draft and signed a four-year contract on 30 April 2019. As a rookie, he punted 52 times for a 44.87-yard average, and in Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals he placed five punts inside the 20-yard line and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. That season ended with a trip to Super Bowl LIV, where the 49ers fell 31–20 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 2020, he posted a 46.86-yard average across 66 punts, and in 2021 he handled 57 punts at 45.02 yards per attempt. That same year, with Robbie Gould sidelined, Wishnowsky briefly took over field goal and extra point duties and became the first Australian to score a point in an NFL game. On 16 September 2022, he signed a four-year, $13 million contract extension with the 49ers, and in 2023 he led his team punting groups with a 47.69-yard average.
His 2024 season was interrupted when he was placed on injured reserve on 16 November 2024, finishing the year with 22 punts for a 45.18-yard average. Earlier that season, against the Arizona Cardinals, he briefly handled kicking duties again after Jake Moody’s injury and made a 26-yard field goal, his first in the NFL. The 49ers released him on 28 May 2025.
Washington Commanders Era (2025)
On 10 September 2025, Wishnowsky signed with the Washington Commanders practice squad as contingency for starter Tress Way, who was managing a back injury. With Way returning to health in time for Week 2, Wishnowsky was released by Washington on 13 September 2025.
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. He appeared in games during the 2025 season, recording 38 punts for 1,723 yards and a 45.3-yard average, and on 13 March 2026 he re-signed with the Bills on a one-year deal.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although the work is kicking rather than driving, Wishnowsky’s style mirrors a high-control specialist on the field. He excels at directional punts, hang time, and pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line, with his strong leg allowing him to work both coffin-corner and rugby-style punts. His consistency on placement and his willingness to take on emergency kicking duties have made him a trusted special teams piece for every staff he has worked with.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Wishnowsky reached Super Bowl LIV as a 49ers rookie, became the first Australian to score a point in an NFL game in 2021, and converted his first career field goal during the 2024 season against the Arizona Cardinals. Across his career he has regularly ranked among the league leaders in punts placed inside the 20.
Mitch Wishnowsky Career Wins
While punting statistics differ from win totals, Wishnowsky’s career is marked by a series of team milestones. He has played in multiple playoff games with the 49ers, appeared in a Super Bowl as a rookie, and continued to contribute on contending rosters with the Buffalo Bills. His on-field production has consistently supported field-position battles and special teams scoring.
NFL Highlights
Through the 2025 season, Wishnowsky has recorded 347 career punts for 15,820 yards, a 45.6-yard punting average, a career long of 74 yards, 156 punts placed inside the 20-yard line, and 5 points scored. He earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in both 2019 and 2021.
Other Wins and Performances
At the college level, Wishnowsky’s standout performances included the 2016 Ray Guy Award, a unanimous All-American selection that same year, two second-team All-American nods in 2017 and 2018, and three consecutive first-team All-Pac-12 honors from 2016 through 2018.
Mitch Wishnowsky Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Wishnowsky was raised in Gosnells, Western Australia, and developed his early sporting foundation in Australian rules football. His move to American football was shaped less by family tradition and more by the Prokick Australia network and his own drive to compete professionally after shoulder injuries cut short his Australian rules path.
Personal Life
Wishnowsky is married to his wife, Maddie, and the couple have a daughter. His family has joined him through the transitions between NFL stops in San Francisco, Washington, and Buffalo.
2025 Season Performance
Wishnowsky’s 2025 season began with his release from the San Francisco 49ers in May and a brief practice squad stint with the Washington Commanders in September. After his release from Washington, he signed with the Buffalo Bills on 30 September 2025 and finished the year with 38 punts for 1,723 yards and a 45.3-yard average. He also handled place-kicking and punting duties, bringing veteran reliability to a Bills special teams unit adjusting to injuries.
His production gave Buffalo consistent field position down the stretch, with his inside-the-20 placement and hang time helping a defense that thrives on opposing offenses starting deep. He re-signed with the Bills on 13 March 2026, locking in another year with the team. Heading into the next season, Wishnowsky’s role remains that of a steady, veteran punter whose dependability continues to anchor Buffalo’s special teams.
