The Patriots’ kick return job looks very much up for grabs as training camp gets rolling in New England.
There’s been no shortage of early buzz around the offense, with A.J. Brown’s chemistry with Drake Maye and Kayshon Boutte’s strong play grabbing attention. But camp also has a way of surfacing the players who can sneak onto the 53-man roster by helping on special teams, and that’s where several fringe names are trying to make their mark.
That matters even more now because Jeremy Springer’s special teams group is dealing with turnover. The unit was one of the league’s best last season, which helped Springer earn a two-year extension, but 2026 brings a different challenge after the departures of Jack Gibbens, Jahlani Tavai, Alex Austin and Miles Battle. The Patriots also traded punt protector Marte Mapu.
For now, the team is using camp the way teams often do in late July: by testing options. Evan Lazar reported that New England has rotated a number of players through both punt and kick returns in the first few days of practice. The punt return picture is less urgent with Marcus Jones and his recent extension, but the kick return role is wide open enough to watch closely.
That’s a notable shift from last season, when seven different players handled kick returns. The dynamic kickoff helped drive that turnover, and 25 of the Patriots’ 70 kick returns came from players no longer on the roster: Antonio Gibson and D’Ernest Johnson. Gibson also accounted for the team’s only special teams touchdown.
Efton Chism handled 19 kicks across the regular season and playoffs, while Kyle Williams took 12. Those two look like the early favorites, but the Patriots have also given a handful of under-the-radar players a shot to enter the mix.
Among the undrafted rookies getting work back there are RB Myles Montgomery, WR Cameron Dorner, WR Nick DeGenarro, WR Kobe Prentice and CB Channing Canada.
None of that group returned kicks in college, but some have the kind of athletic traits that can translate. Prentice, who spent 2025 at Baylor after transferring from Alabama, ran a 4.37s 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. Jam Miller, a former teammate of Prentice’s who went in the seventh round, also fits the profile of a useful return man thanks to his 4.42s speed and compact build.
There’s also Lan Larison, who has been back there this week along with Terrell Jennings. Larison is not a rookie this time, and he may have the cleanest path to standing out as a returner.
At UC Davis, he returned 43 kicks from 2021-2022 and averaged 26.2 yards per return. He also brings more to the table as a runner than Jennings, which makes him an appealing third-back option if he can carve out a role.
Right now, Chism, Williams and Larison look like the names to watch most closely. Williams has reportedly had a reduced role early in camp, so special teams could become the easiest way for him to separate himself.
In Other News...
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Brown's thumb injury, though, has introduced an unwelcome layer of uncertainty to that progress. Even with the issue being watched closely, anything that affects a receiver's hands can matter in a camp setting, and the Patriots now have to hope the momentum Brown and Maye were building can keep moving forward without interruption. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Camp Battle Is Already Putting One Roster Hope In Trouble
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Caedan Wallace is one of the players feeling that squeeze. The third-year guard has slipped behind in the race for a reserve job and has been running with the third-team group in recent practices, a sign that his hold on a roster spot is far from secure. Unless New England decides to keep a bigger offensive line group than expected, Wallace will need to make up ground quickly to stay in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Camp Just Raised Bigger Roster Questions Than Expected
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The setup also added a strange layer of noise, as siren sounds were introduced during third-and-short situations to make the offense fight through distractions. Even with some players still absent, the day underscored how quickly camp can turn into a roster evaluation, especially when familiar names are back in the mix and the staff is still sorting out who fits where. One of the more interesting little signs from the field suggested a possible change coming behind the scenes, the kind of move that often says as much about a players standing as any rep in practice. [Read more 🡒]