Dan Campbell just answered who the Lions’ return man is going to be after cutting Greg Dortch
Kennedy proved late last season that he could handle the job. Now the only question is whether Detroit elevates him or puts him directly on the 53.
One of the biggest questions for the Detroit Lions coming out of training camp was settled Wednesday morning. After Detroit released Greg Dortch, the return specialist role sat wide open. Lions coach Dan Campbell went on 97.1 The Ticket and gave the answer: Tom Kennedy is probably going to be the return man for this game.
Campbell had already tipped his hand on Tuesday, openly saying Kennedy would play in the Week 1 matchup. He joked about it, saying he accidentally let that slip. But nobody should be truly surprised. Kennedy was always the logical choice once Dortch was off the roster.
Does this make Kennedy the 53rd man?
Here’s the thing. Kennedy being the return man and Kennedy being the 53rd man on the roster are two different questions. At this point, Kennedy is on the practice squad. The Lions could simply use one of his practice squad elevations for Week 1 and see where things go from there. Campbell said Detroit is looking to get the 53rd roster spot solved by the end of the week, and it could be resolved as early as Wednesday.
The Lions are not practicing with media availability Wednesday. They’ll be back at official practice with media access and full practice reports on Thursday. We’ll see where things stand between now and then.
Kennedy’s return stats make the decision easy
Kennedy as the return man makes a lot of sense when you look at what he did last season. He had 16 kick returns for 447 yards, averaging 27.9 yards per return. That included a huge 40-yard return against the Cowboys. He looked really good in that game, and he had a strong performance against Minnesota on Christmas as well. He also looked solid against Pittsburgh.
On the punt return side, Kennedy only had three opportunities, but he made them count with 50 yards and a 16.7-yard average. Two of those returns went for 21 yards. That’s not bad at all for a limited sample.
What it all means
At this point, we know Tom Kennedy is the Lions’ return man for Week 1. The bigger question of whether he earns the 53rd roster spot or keeps getting elevated from the practice squad is something we’re going to find out by the end of the week. But the return job? That’s settled. It just makes sense.
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