Dan Campbell teases about Detroit Lions’ punt returner options

Dan Campbell joked around about the Lions’ punt returner options this week just enough to leave people guessing.

The Detroit Lions are going to need a new punt returning this week, as Kalif Raymond is dealing with a foot injury and is not expected to play on Thanksgiving against the Chicago Bears.

Much to the dismay of many Lions fans, Detroit used Amon-Ra St. Brown in the middle of last week’s game. While some worried about an injury risk—and St. Brown is on the injury report with a knee injury, but is expected to play this week—Campbell told local radio station 97.1 The Ticket that he was the most reliable option they had at that moment. With a week to prepare for life without Raymond, the Lions appear to be planning for someone else to take the role.

“You know why Saint was in there? Because Leaf (Raymond) got hurt. So now that we’re in another week, we’re going to have probably a different returner,” Campbell said on the radio. “And if we need Saint in a critical (situation), then we’ll use him, but that was really why he was in there because he’s sure-handed and we know he’ll get the job done. And he’s just so damn reliable. If he wasn’t that reliable, maybe we wouldn’t put him back there.”

Then, a few hours later, Campbell was asked in a press conference about the punt returner situation. His answer, if you just read the words, tells a completely different story.

“I’m still trying to think about that, because part of me says, ‘Use Saint again, because he is the most reliable,’” Campbell said. “So we may just do that. You know what? We’re going to do that.”

But when you see him answer that question, it certainly looks like there’s some playful gamesmanship happening.

Is he serious? Is he joking around? He’s certainly being a little funny, as evidenced by his wry smile after delivering his answer. And he’s certainly joked and been playfully sarcastic with the media before. And that’s my read on the situation. He’s joking around, but I suppose there is enough ambiguity here to leave people guessing.

If the Lions don’t go with St. Brown on Thursday, they do have some other reasonable options. On the practice squad, Maurice Alexander has plenty of experience as a returner. He returned six kickoffs for the Lions in 2022, 25 punt returns for Florida International in college, and 13 punts for the Philadelphia Stars in the short-lived USFL in 2022.

You may remember this punt return from Alexander in the preseason last year:

Other Lions players with return experience include Jameson Williams, Tom Kennedy, Craig Reynolds, and the player with the most NFL punt return reps on the entire team (61) Donovan Peoples-Jones.