![\"Oct](\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_425,y_154,w_6881,h_3870\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/220\/01jwy547mysstg41m83z.jpg\")
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The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to be one of the top teams in the NFL this season but it doesn\u2019t mean that everyone\u2019s job is safe.<\/p>\n
OTAs are a challenging time for young players and veterans alike as they look to lay the groundwork for securing a starting job or just a spot on the team in the weeks leading up to training camp.<\/p>\n
With that being said, there\u2019s one position battle unfolding that Chiefs fans didn\u2019t expect coming into OTAs and it could be something that goes all the way to the start of the season.<\/p>\n
Chiefs Special Teams Coordinator Admits There\u2019s a Battle at Punt Returner<\/strong><\/p>\n According to Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports, Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub told reporters on Wednesday that there will be a battle at punt returner ahead of the upcoming season.<\/p>\n While he stated that Nikko Remigio has been improving, he also added that rookie running back Brashard Smith and wide receiver Xavier Worthy will also spend time at the spot.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a great battle at that punt return spot,\u201d Toub said.<\/p>\n Remigio was part of a return group that included six different players last year. While Mecole Hardman returned 20 punts for 203 yards (10.2 yards per return) last season, Remigio was the next man up with 11 returns for 104 yards (9.5 yards per return).<\/p>\n With Hardman departing for the Green Bay Packers this offseason, Remigio figured to be the front runner but the additions of Smith and Worthy are intriguing.<\/p>\n Smith was a seventh-round pick by the Chiefs in April\u2019s draft and the former SMU running back has plenty of experience with 53 kick returns for 1,295 yards and a touchdown during his career. But Smith has had limited opportunities to return punts with five returns for 22 yards.<\/p>\n Then there is Worthy, who is the more exciting option to Chiefs fans. Worthy was the Texas Longhorns\u2019 primary punt returner in his final two collegiate seasons, leading the nation with 371 return yards and leading the Big 12 with 16.9 yards per return during the 2023 season.<\/p>\n While Worthy didn\u2019t return punts during his rookie season in Kansas City, his 4.21-second time in the 40-yard dash suggests it could be fun to find out.<\/p>\n That\u2019s probably why the Chiefs are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding Hardman\u2019s replacement and it could be an exciting battle that takes place over the next several months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to be one of the top teams in the NFL this season but it doesn\u2019t mean that everyone\u2019s job is safe…. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67520,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n