It wasn’t a banner year for the Bengals with their special teams unit, but players did step up in critical moments.
Special teams is the most unheralded of the three phases of football, but some of the biggest momentum swings in the game occur in these brief moments. This phase was a bit messy for the Bengals this year, thanks to injuries, but others stepped up in the chaos.
Cast your vote and sound off on your winners for the Cincinnati Bengals’ Special Teams MVP!
Nominees for Special Teams MVP
Cade York:
It’s not an admirable position for a kicker to come into a situation late in the year with the team needing him to be pinpoint accurate to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. It’s also a tall task when it’s an AFC North team, as many of the ensuing games would be played in the elements.
York stepped in and made 9-of-11 kicks, putting up an 81.8 conversion rate, as opposed to McPherson’s 72.7 percentage on the year. York also was 14-of-15 on extra points and was a steady presence down the stretch, wherein the Bengals won five straight to end the year.
Evan McPherson:
It wasn’t necessarily a “Money Mac” season from the team’s primary kicker, but in 12 games, McPherson did hit six kicks from 40-plus yards. He was also a perfect 10-of-10 from 39 yards in and had a 97.4 accuracy percentage on 38 extra-point attempts, missing just one on the season.
Tycen Anderson:
While he hasn’t flashed the defensive prowess seen in preseason games, Anderson has become a valuable member on special teams coverage. He led the team with 11 special teams tackles and remains a valuable player on Darrin Simmons’ unit.
Isaiah Williams:
Williams stepped in for the injured Charlie Jones, filling in for return duties. He averaged nearly 1.5 yards more per punt return than Jones on nearly as many attempts (11 to 14), while also keeping up a 33.3 kickoff return average.
Charlie Jones:
As mentioned earlier, Jones’ season was cut short, but he had one of the biggest plays of the entire year. Jones’ 100-yard kickoff touchdown return against the Browns was a major catalyst to an early season win, along with a 40-yard average on kickoff returns.
Ryan Rehkow:
The pressure was on Brad Robbins to bounce back from a poor rookie season, but an early injury derailed his comeback. Rehkow stepped in and was fantastic for most of the 2024 season. He had 25 of his 53 punts land in the opponents’ 20-yard line and was a field position-flipping weapon
