Tom Kennedy is set as the Lions’ primary kick returner for the time being. That’s what special teams coordinator Dave Fipp told the media Thursday at his weekly press conference, saying Kennedy has done enough to keep the role.
Kalif Raymond will continue to operate as the punt returner, as Fipp mentioned his thoughts on the two roles.
“Kalif’s obviously an incredible player for us, so I would see him starting off as our punt returner and I would definitely see Tom Kennedy being part of the kick return game,” Fipp said. “Leaf back, I would see him returning punts for sure.”Kennedy has been working in the kick return game in place of Raymond since his Week 12 ankle injury and has done a very nice job in the two weeks, including averaging 40 yards per return in Week 14 against the Cowboys.
While Raymond is close to returning — he has been limited in practice through two days this week — Kennedy will still be one of the two men back fielding kickoffs. Raymond could very well join Kennedy deep while also serving as the primary punt returner once he is healthy. Jacob Saylors is another option to be aligned Kennedy.
Fipp raved about Kennedy and the work he has done the last two weeks to help keep the return game stable.
“I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am for Tom Kennedy,” Fipp said, via SB Nation’s Jeremy Reisman. “I mean there’s nobody who deserves the attention and the recognition more than him in this building. I mean a guy who’s just worked his tail off every single day the whole time he’s been here. Never ever complained about the reps he’s getting, the opportunity he’s getting. Whether he knows he can do something better than maybe some other guy who’s getting his shot before him. And then for him to get the opportunity and then go out there and make the most of it, you’ve got to give him a lot of credit.”
Kennedy turned a question mark into an exclamation point and now the Lions have two very reliable kick returners at their disposal.
