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Lance predicts the starting kick returners for each team in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. Which teams will have a new returner and which will stick with a proven choice?
Kick returners can become an invaluable weapon to an NFL team. Give them a gap to burst through, and they can yield impressive runs to the end zone.
While Pro Football Hall of Famer Devin Hester made it look easy, delivering favorable returns isn’t easy, especially if 11 opponents are chasing you. That’s why significant gains often make highlight reels.
Therefore, here are the 32 players who will likely be the primary kick returners for their respective squads once the 2024 NFL season starts.
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Potential Starting Kick Returners for AFC East Teams
Buffalo Bills – KJ Hamler
It appears the competition for #Bills returner could be down to three — KJ Hamler, Andy Isabella, Daequan Hardy #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/TNg2kH5Kxp
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) July 24, 2024
Hamler last played an NFL regular-season game in 2022 when he was still with the Denver Broncos. A year later, his pericarditis diagnosis prompted the Broncos to release him. The Indianapolis Colts signed him last season, but he didn’t make it past the practice squad. The former Penn State standout will be able to return kicks for Buffalo in 2024.
Miami Dolphins – Braxton Berrios
There was a reason why a lot of kickers didn't kick to Braxton Berrios. NFL screwed up on this new kick off rule. pic.twitter.com/0HuwzI3d9W
— Keith mcclendon (@KeithMcclendo55) May 12, 2024
Berrios was a 2021 first-team All-Pro as a return specialist for the New York Jets. He will remain as the Dolphins kick returner after re-signing this offseason. Berrios finished the 2023 season with 18 return attempts for 441 yards.
New England Patriots – Marcus Jones
#Patriots punt returner Marcus Jones shared some insight into what he looks for on returns:
“It’s real easy. If it’s a right foot punter and it goes far, that means that the nose (of the football) is gonna turn down. So, it’s going to fall to the left. So a left foot punter, far… pic.twitter.com/IvtYFFxlhH
— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) May 13, 2024
Jones became a first-team All-Pro punt returner during his rookie season (2022), finishing with 1,007 return yards and a touchdown. A shoulder injury limited him to two games last year. However, now that he’s healthy, Jones should regain his place as the Patriots return specialist.
New York Jets – Xavier Gipson
Work @RealdealKob pic.twitter.com/gE8RaphJif
— Xavier Gipson (@XavierGipson_) July 4, 2024
The undrafted wide receiver/kick returner carved his niche on the Jets roster after finishing his rookie season (2023) with 830 return yards and a game-winning touchdown during their season opener. The special teamer from Stephen F. Austin State University deserves an encore in 2024.
Potential Starting Kick Returners for AFC West Teams
Denver Broncos – Marvin Mims Jr.
Bo Nix ➕6️⃣
The 12th overall pick finds Marvin Mims Jr. for the @Broncos first TD of preseason!
📺: #DENvsIND on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8CTfxfIP7Y— NFL (@NFL) August 11, 2024
The Sporting News named Mims to its 2023 first-team All-Pro squad after finishing his rookie season with 709 return yards and a touchdown. While the former Sooner could still be the Broncos’ primary kick returner, he might have a more significant role on offense after Jerry Jeudy’s departure.
Kansas City Chiefs – Nikko Remigio
My eyes are open, Nikko Remigio. 👀 his tape pops. pic.twitter.com/At6k00i1Fm
— Soulofarrowhead (@Soulofarrowhead) June 19, 2024
Remigio joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2023. However, the team placed him on injured reserve before the season started. While he could be the Chiefs kick returner in 2024, rookie wideout Xavier Worthy could handle punt return duties.
Las Vegas Raiders – Ameer Abdullah
The Raiders could go with Tre Turner as their punt returner. However, his increased role on offense could lead to Abdullah returning kicks after DeAndre Carter signed with the Chicago Bears. Abdullah was the Raiders return specialist in 2022, finishing with 543 return yards in 26 attempts.
Los Angeles Chargers – Derius Davis
Justin Herbert ➡️ Derius Davis pic.twitter.com/w1pYoA4Fqw
— Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) May 20, 2024
The Sporting News hailed Davis as its first-team All-Pro punt returner during his rookie season (2023), finishing with 385 return yards and a touchdown. The return specialist added 374 kick return yards in 17 attempts. Those numbers should make him the primary kick returner for 2024.
Potential Starting Kick Returners for AFC North Teams
Baltimore Ravens – Deonte Harty
DEONTE HARTY CHANGES THE GAME pic.twitter.com/6b1Op6ooNZ
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 8, 2024
Despite being undrafted in 2019, Harty became a first-team All-Pro kick returner for the New Orleans Saints that season. After spending one season with the Bills, he will now play for the Ravens and should play the same role as returning kicks and punts.
Cincinnati Bengals – Trayveon Williams
#Bengals release first depth chart of the season.
Trent Brown listed as starter at RT
Trenton Irwin at WR3
DJ Turner as the starting CB ahead of Dax Hill
Trayveon Williams as KR pic.twitter.com/J6DOovhIwP— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) August 5, 2024
Williams has been the Bengals kick returner since 2022, collecting 646 return yards in 28 attempts over two seasons. While Charlie Jones could be their punt returner, Williams will likely return kickoffs in 2024.
Cleveland Browns – Pierre Strong Jr.
While Strong played for two teams in his first two NFL seasons, he became the kick returner for the Browns and the New England Patriots. After collecting 200 return yards in eight attempts, he will remain Cleveland's return specialist in 2024.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Cordarrelle Patterson
Cordarrelle Patterson speaks to the media after Sunday's #SteelersCamp practice. @MillerLite pic.twitter.com/dKeBfwRlDz
— Steelers Live (@SteelersLive) August 12, 2024
The Steelers will have one of the league’s most versatile players as kick returner. Patterson signed a two-year contract with Pittsburgh after playing the previous three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. The Steelers hope Paterson can rediscover the form that made him a four-time first-team All-Pro kick returner.
Potential Starting Kick Returners for AFC South Teams
Houston Texans – Dameon Pierce
With the Texans trading for Joe Mixon, Pierce will have more time to concentrate on returning kicks. He will still get opportunities to carry the ball, especially when Houston dials up plays featuring two running backs. Pierce had 225 kick return yards and a touchdown out of seven attempts last season.
Indianapolis Colts – Dallis Flowers
Flowers will regain his role as the Colts kick returner after an Achilles injury limited him to four games last year. After going undrafted, he had 715 kick return yards during his rookie season (2022). In addition to returning kicks, Flowers could play a pivotal role in the Colts defensive secondary.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Devin Duvernay
C.J. Beathard throws a DEEP ball, and Devin Duvernay comes down with it for the touchdown 🔥
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 11, 2024
Duvernay signed a two-year contract with the Jaguars this offseason after starting his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens. While he switched teams, Duvernay will still fulfill the kick returner role. The former Texas standout had 178 return yards out of nine return opportunities.
Tennessee Titans – Tyjae Spears
As a running back, he will transition from backing up Derrick Henry to giving Tony Pollard a breather. But in terms of returning kickoffs, he will be Tennessee’s primary option. Spears had 270 return yards out of 13 attempts for the Titans last season.
Potential Starting Kick Returners for NFC East Teams
Dallas Cowboys – KaVontae Turpin
2022 USFL MVP KaVontae Turpin's two return TDs from last night vs. the Chargers
-kick return TD here, punt return TD below pic.twitter.com/03b332lYYS— Shawn Syed (@SyedSchemes) August 21, 2022
The former United States Football League Most Valuable Player found a niche as the Cowboys return specialist. After making the Pro Bowl in 2022, Turpin had a down year in 2023, finishing with 371 total return yards in 16 games.
New York Giants – Gunner Olszewski
How old were you when you found out Gunner Olszewski was an All-Pro returner in 2020? pic.twitter.com/2YQghu6sLE
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) August 12, 2024
After re-signing this offseason, Olszewski will play his second year with the Giants. The former first-team All-Pro punt returner had a return touchdown for New York’s NFC team last season.
Philadelphia Eagles – Isaiah Rodgers
The NFL reinstated Rodgers in April after skipping the 2023 season for violating the league’s gambling policy. Before he takes the field for the Eagles, the defensive back from UMass had 1,645 kick return yards and a touchdown in three seasons with the Colts.
Washington Commanders – Noah Igbinoghene
Igbinoghene will be playing for his third NFL team in five seasons. However, the former Cowboys cornerback will be reunited with Dan Quinn in Washington. The first-round selection in the 2020 draft had his last taste of returning kicks in 2020 when he was still with the Dolphins.
Potential Starting Kick Returners for NFC West Teams
Arizona Cardinals – DeeJay Dallas
After playing out his rookie-scale contract with the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas signed a three-year contract with the Cardinals this offseason. While he did have 112 rushing attempts in four seasons with Seattle, he was primarily a return specialist, tallying 1,474 kick return yards from 2021 to 2023. Dallas will be a dynamic weapon in Arizona’s special teams.
Los Angeles Rams – Boston Scott
Scott will now play for the Rams after spending the last six seasons with the Eagles. While he will still get his chances from the Rams backfield, Kyren Williams and Blake Corum will get most of the snaps. Hence, Scott will specialize in kick returns, allowing him to add to the 1,504 kick return yards he accumulated in Philadelphia.
San Francisco 49ers – Ronnie Bell
Bell made little impact during his rookie season with the 49ers, finishing with 68 receiving yards and zero kick return yards in 17 games. Therefore, the defending NFC champions will expect more from him as their primary kick returner in 2024.
Seattle Seahawks – Laviska Shenault Jr.
Lets not forget that Laviska Shenault Jr. is an ELITE YAC guy. If the Seahawks use him the right way, he could be lethal in the offense.
His deal is official:
$1,292,500 with $1,152,500 fully guaranteed. pic.twitter.com/d6YlPiIPuK
— Seattle ON Tap (@SeattleONTap) April 4, 2024
Shenault will play for his third team in five seasons after signing with the Seahawks in April. After dealing with a season-ending ankle injury, he will have additional motivation to play this year. The former second-round pick had 167 return yards for the Carolina Panthers last season.
Potential Starting Kick Returners for NFC North Teams
Chicago Bears – Velus Jones Jr.
Jones’s role on the Bears offense diminishes due to the additions of Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. However, he will be Chicago’s primary kick returner for Week 1 of the 2024 season. The wide receiver from Tennessee has 1,042 return yards in his first two seasons with Chicago.
Detroit Lions – Craig Reynolds
While Reynolds has been with the Lions since 2021, he started returning kickoffs only last year. He will be Detroit’s primary return specialist for the second consecutive season. Reynolds had five return attempts for 133 yards last year.
Green Bay Packers – Keisean Nixon
Keisean Nixon after finding out the NFL approved the new kickoff rule...
pic.twitter.com/8g4V5tFmFU— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) March 26, 2024
Nixon is a two-time first-team All-Pro kick returner, tallying 1,791 return yards and a touchdown in his first two seasons with the Packers. The lofty expectations remain in his third season with Green Bay, especially when the Packers are an established NFC contender.
Minnesota Vikings – Kene Nwangwu
Nwangwu will play the final year of his rookie-scale contract with the Vikings. However, he has the drive to play at his best after an injury limited him to nine games last season. The running back from Iowa State was a second-team All-Pro return specialist two years ago, tallying 920 return yards and a touchdown in 35 attempts.
Potential Starting Kick Returners for NFC South Teams
Atlanta Falcons – Avery Williams
As Ray-Ray McCloud III field punts, Williams will cover kick returns for the Falcons after missing the 2023 season due to a torn ACL. The running back from Boise State has 803 return yards in two seasons with Atlanta.
Carolina Panthers – Raheem Blackshear
Blackshear has called Carolina home since going undrafted in 2022. While he did have three rushing touchdowns during his rookie season, he made a name for himself as a return specialist. The running back from Virginia Tech has 943 return yards over the last two seasons.
New Orleans Saints – Rashid Shaheed
Do You Believe in Rashid Shaheed in 2024?
Current ADP: Pick 149 (WR60)
Picked After: Josh Downs/Jahan Dotson
Picked Before: Mike Williams/AD Mitchell— Dave Heilman NFL (@DynastyDorks) August 8, 2024
Shaheed had a breakout year on offense, collecting 719 yards and five touchdowns for the Saints last year. However, he became a first-team All-Pro punt returner due to his 384 net yards in 18 attempts. New Orleans will also designate him as its kick returner, which he did well with 384 yards.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Bucky Irving
Bucky Irving gets the @Buccaneers on the board!
📱: Stream #TBvsCIN on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/QmESgHNX5U
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024
In addition to potentially being the second running back on Tampa Bay’s depth chart, Irving could see more action as the Bucs kick returner for 2024. While he doesn’t have return stats yet, his blazing speed led to 1,180 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final year at Oregon.
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