KC Chiefs’ Return Game Is One of Team’s Biggest Questions This Season

Kansas City's special teams unit as a whole is earning good marks, although there are certainly some elements to be wary of.

Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub has gained a reputation as one of the better coaches in his specific field. He has the on-field product to back it up, and the 2023 campaign at least partially continues that trend.

Entering Week 11, the Chiefs' special teams group ranks sixth in DVOA (both adjusted and unadjusted). The team boasts the best kicker in the NFL this season, as well as a punter who is coming off the best year of his career. There are some questions that need to be answered, however, down the stretch. The return game is one of Kansas City's most glaring weaknesses, and it could prove to be costly at an inopportune time if not improved soon. 

Joshua Brisco and Jordan Foote start an Arrowhead Report discussion to assess where Kansas City is at with the group as the season passes its midpoint.

Biggest success

Brisco: Harrison Butker has been on fire. He hasn't missed a kick this season. Period. He's 18-for-18 on field goals, 22-for-22 on extra points, and he can kick off for a touchback essentially as often as the Chiefs want him to, which has resulted in 44 touchbacks on 46 kickoffs this year. He's kicking like a man who hasn't felt real pressure in a while, which makes sense when you think about his substantial list of clutch postseason moments. Kickers Jan Stenerud and Nick Lowery are already in the Chiefs Hall of Fame, and on this track, Butker will eventually be the third kicker to receive that distinction.

Foote: For the record, I do think Butker has definitely been the biggest special teams success for KC. With that said, for the sake of something different, I'll go with Tommy Townsend following up his first All-Pro campaign with a very solid 2023. Entering Week 11, the fourth-year man ranks in the top 10 in net average yards per punt and is fifth in punter EPA above expected. It isn't a year, but it's still a successful one. Townsend is set to hit free agency following this season, and this marks another step towards securing a long-term deal either in Kansas City or elsewhere. 

Biggest shortcoming

Brisco: The Chiefs' punt return game was an absolute disaster in 2022, starting Skyy Moore's NFL career in a terrible way. This year, the Chiefs started with Richie James (who should be returning off IR soon), elevated Montrell Washington for the role after James's injury, and then traded for Mecole Hardman. Washington proved to be the most sure-handed of the trio, noting the fact that Hardman muffed a punt in the Chiefs' loss to the Broncos, but Hardman's 50-yard return is also the longest punt return KC has had this season. Add in some misjudged balls and frustrating return decisions, and the Chiefs are back to an unstable situation when it's time for opponents to give the ball back to Patrick Mahomes and the offense. That should not be a stressful experience.

Foote: Things haven't been much better in the kickoff return game. Toub hinted back in the summer that the Chiefs would remain aggressive despite changing rules in that regard, and that simply hasn't happened. In nine games, Kansas City has brought back fewer kickoffs than all but one team in the league. On those four attempts, their average yardage gain of 17 is also 31st. We simply don't know much about who the Chiefs are in this area in 2023, which could come back to bite them if a suitable kickoff return situation presents itself down the road. 

Biggest question(s) remaining this season

Brisco: What's the punt return plan, and when is it just not worth it? I grew up watching Dante Hall. The Chiefs have speedsters and I love an explosive special teams play as much as anybody. I understand Toub's point that it's less helpful to avoid any punt that appears to be landing near the end zone since punters have gotten so much better at getting the ball to stop before rolling past the goal line. But there have only been four punt-return touchdowns this season (with one coming from Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who the Chiefs traded to the Panthers before roster cutdowns). No player in the league has multiple returns of 40+ yards. I'm happy for Hardman (or whoever fields the punt) to take a shot for a big play in certain situations, but those gambles cannot result in turnovers or situations where the offense has to start their drive from within their own 10-yard line.

Foote: I certainly have the same question. It also seems like the Chiefs are pigeonholed into going with Hardman, right? Moore clearly wasn't comfortable in the role last year, Kadarius Toney is a "break glass in case of emergency" option and the team traded future draft capital to acquire Hardman for this specific purpose (in addition to injecting speed into the offense). Until another mistake or two gets made, Toub almost surely isn't going to go away from Hardman as the team's primary punt returner. For better or worse, it makes the most sense.

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