After Colquitt’s 15 seasons, Chiefs turn to a rookie punter. It’s a tough act to follow
On the initial stalled drive of the Chiefs’ season, coach Andy Reid will likely turn to the sideline and wave on the punt team. A line change, of sorts, will ensue, with some players exiting the field and others charging onto it.
For the first time in 15 years, Dustin Colquitt won’t be among the latter.
The Tommy Townsend era is here.
The Chiefs have their first modification atop the punter depth chart since plucking Colquitt in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Colquitt would hold the job for the next 15 years, a witness of the franchise’s highs and lows, before his offseason release.
That release arrived, at least in part, because the Chiefs believe they have found the man who can hold the job for the next 15 years.
“We originally saw Tommy at the combine, and I felt like he was the best punter at the combine. We had a draftable grade on him,” Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. “Obviously he wasn’t drafted, so he was a guy that we went after real strong, and those guys did a great job of being able to get him in our building.
“I’m really happy with his performance so far. He’s done a great job. He’s really consistent. He really bombs the ball. He gets the ball off quick. He’s athletic. He’s everything you’re looking for.”
The Chiefs have been so impressed with Townsend that they erased his competition for the job, moving on from Tyler Newsome, who had spent the virtual offseason with the team. When the Chiefs open against the Texans on Sept. 10, Townsend, a 23-year-old rookie from Florida, will be in uniform for his first NFL game.
“Nothing really changes for me. I’m still preparing the same way,” Townsend said. “I’m still on my toes, just trying to go out and perform the best I can, and just keep getting better every single day. Since the NFL is completely different, I’m just trying to learn as much as I can as fast as I can and continue to progress in everything I do.”
At first glance, a punter’s transition from college to the NFL might be among the easiest to anticipate. And Townsend was quite good at Florida after a transfer from Tennessee, averaging 44.8 yards per attempt.
But there are some differences. Florida used a spread formation with its punts, shielding Townsend with a couple of offensive lineman as blockers. The speed of the game also takes on an obvious uptick, which means every move must be made more quickly and without hesitation.
That goes for punts. And for holds.
Colquitt served as the Chiefs’ holder on field goals and extra points, a role in which Townsend will step into after he did the same at Florida. Toub has praised Townsend’s soft hands. But it’s an adjustment for long-snapper James Winchester and certainly kicker Harrison Butker, who said he had come to view Colquitt as the equivalent of a caddy in golf.
“We have a good operation time, and he’s learning as much as he can right now,” Butker said of Townsend. “I’m trying to take him under me wing a little bit and kind of show him the ropes, since he is the only punter on the roster. He’s just learning as he goes.”
A phrase Townsend has repeated often.
“It’s just a process of continuing to learn, like I said, as a rookie, so I’m excited to keep progressing and keep moving forward and take it into the season,” he said.