2024 NFC North Position Rankings: Special Teams

It’s easy to forget about the importance of Special Teams until they’re most desperately needed. Then, when a team needs a 55-yard field goal to win a game or is forced to punt from its own endzone, suddenly, the least thought-about positions become the most critical.

During their 2006 Super Bowl run, the Chicago Bears had the most feared special teams unit in the league, thanks largely to Devin Hester, who is now the first punt/kick returner to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Will the 2024 Bears live up to this legacy of special teams excellence? Let’s compare each special teams unit in the division and see how Chicago compares.

Detroit Lions

Riley Patterson was Detroit’s kicker in 2023 until they benched him late in the season. Michael Badgley then took his place, and after going perfect in seven games, including the postseason, the Lions signed Badgley to a one-year deal.

Jack Fox returns for his fifth season as Detroit’s punter. He averages just over 46 yards per punt and dropped 26 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, good for 22nd and 16th best in the league, respectively. Kalif Raymond and Khalil Dorsey are slated to return punts and kickoffs. Last year, Raymond returned 29 punts for 331 yards, 9th most in the league, while Dorsey averaged just 20 yards per kickoff return.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings spent a 6th-round pick in this year’s draft on a new kicker: Will Reichard from Alabama. He connected on 22 of 25 field goal attempts in his final year of college, including going 5-for-5 on attempts from 50+ yards.

Ryan Wright returns for his 3rd year of punting in Minnesota. His 48.7 yards per punt average in 2023 was good, but he landed just 16 inside the opponent’s 20, third-worst in the league. Brandon Powell is currently slated to return punts, but that could change in training camp. A seven-year veteran, he’s averaged less than 9 yards per return. Ty Chandler, a fifth-round pick from 2022, will fight with Kene Nwangwu for the kick returner job. In 2023, the two combined to field 19 kickoff returns for 477 yards.

Green Bay Packers

Anders Carlson returns to Green Bay after a rocky rookie season. He was perfect on kicks inside of 40 yards but went just 7-for-12 on kicks longer than that. He will need to improve significantly in 2024 to be a long-term starter for the Packers. Punter Daniel Whelan is also entering his second season with expectations of improvement, as his average of 46.2 yards per punt was just 25th in the NFL.

Here’s where things get better for Green Bay’s special teams. The electric, two-time All-Pro Keisean Nixon will once again be fielding kickoffs. He’s led the league in kick return yards each of the last two years, racking up 1,791 yards. With the new kickoff rules being implemented in 2024, Nixon will be the biggest name to watch when it comes to making explosive special teams plays. He’ll also be splitting punt return duties with second-year player Jayden Reed.

Chicago Bears

In December, the Bears signed kicker Cairo Santos to a well-deserved contract extension, locking him in for another four years. He’s been clutch for Chicago since he arrived in 2020, connecting on 91% of his field goal attempts. His range is limited compared to other elite kickers, with a career-long of just 55 yards, but inside that distance, he’s automatic.

The Bears caused quite a stir in the 2024 NFL Draft when they spent a fourth-round pick on punter Tory Taylor from Iowa. The 26-year-old from Australia was a punting phenom in college and is a perfect fit for a Bears team that featured one of the least productive punters over the last two seasons. You can argue that a fourth-round pick is a bit rich for a guy that the fans and players alike hope not to see very much, but there’s no denying the field-flipping potential that Taylor brings to the table.

Currently, Velus Jones Jr. is slated to be the starting kick and punt returner. The young Jones’ career has thus far been marred by drops, muffs, and fumbles, but there’s no denying his electric potential in the return game. Given one more opportunity to prove himself, it will be interesting to see if Jones can save his career with the new kickoff rules, at least as a special teamer.

Bears’ special teams once again lead the way in the NFC North

I don’t think it should cause any controversy when I say the Bears are the clear division leaders regarding special teams. Santos is one of the best kickers in the league, while Taylor is a generational punter. Jones remains a question mark in the return game, but it’s not enough to drag the overall unit down from atop the NFC North.

Coming in second place is the Green Bay Packers, thanks solely to the explosive returns of Nixon. And it feels insane to say this, but he could be much better in 2024, thanks to the new kickoff rules. Third place goes to the Lions, while the Vikings land in last place.