There is a segment of every NFL team that most fans don’t take any time to absorb and discuss. Until something goes wrong. The Arizona Cardinals have players in this group as well, commonly called the special teams group.
The small group is all considered “specialists.” The reason is that the majority of players in this group only perform one area of expertise, and that’s it.
In days past, the punter was usually your quarterback. The kicker was one of the biggest guys on the offensive
line. The second-string quarterback was the holder. The starting or backup center, and sometimes a tight end, was the long snapper. The kickoff return man was a guy with some size but had moves and could run, usually your second-or third-string running back. The punt returner was either a cornerback or a receiver, because this had to be somebody speedy who had great hands and had no issue sprinting 30 yards.
Of course, rosters back then were 33 guys. Now, with the addition of 20 extra athletes, every NFL club can hire a handful of players that have a single job.
There is another job with special teams, called a gunner. There are a pair on every punt. And yes, they are identified as specialists. But these two guys can have other jobs either on offense or defense, like the backup running back or safety man.
Now that training camp is in full swing, let’s look at the special teams room.
This year’s group has only a few changes from the 2025 version. This can be good, or simply the fact that new coaches have reached out to bring in guys they are familiar with. When Bill Belichick was head coach, he only hired left-footed punters. His first NFL gig was the ST coach of the New York Football Giants, and the punter at that time was left-footed. They claim that the ball spins the opposite direction and isn’t familiar to most returners.
Cardinals’ ST depth chart
- Punter: Blake Gillikin, backup (none)
- Kicker: Chad Ryland, backup (none)
- Long snapper: Casey Kreiter, backup (none)
- Holder: Blake Gillikin, backup TBD with backup QB
- Kickoff returner: Devin Duvernay, backup Jalen Brooks, Xavier Weaver
- Punt returner: Devin Duvernay, backup Xavier Weaver, Michael Wilson
- Gunners: Joey Blount, TBD
Best expectations?
The majority of the roster will see action on special teams. On the punt team, usually most of the starting offensive line will go and sit down to rest, which gives the backups time to go onto the field and block. Some linebackers and/or defensive line may also line up to block, especially along the edges.
Gillikin has returned this year with a one-year deal after season-ending back surgery last season. The team has not signed a second punter for training camp, which is very odd since each position every camp has competition involved. He kicked extremely well last year with a 51.7 average. Ryland is also the only guy at his position in camp after the team released Joshua Karty. Which means, barring any injuries, both of these guys are guaranteed a roster spot for 2026.
A new long snapper? New Cardinals head coach hired Michael Ghobrial as his new special teams coach this year. He came from the New York Football Giants. The two were on the staff of the New York Jets under Robert Saleh from 2021-2023. Ghobrial brought over his long snapper, Casey Kreiter, who has been in the league since 2014 and has one Pro Bowl appearance.
Worst case?
What is the status of Gillikin’s back issues? A person with any back problems doesn’t just have a procedure, and then that is that. These things linger. Did he rehab his problems without any other issues? The Cardinals found out last year that finding another punter isn’t a problem; it is finding a capable punter who can produce that is the roadblock.
Ryland is not considered one of the league’s best field goal kickers, although it has been quite a while since he missed an extra point. The franchise had the opportunity to sign one of the UFL kickers who were seen nailing 60-yard field goals yet didn’t invite any to the complex for a workout, much less a training camp contract.
2026 version?
Gillikin can change field position in every game this year if he can remain healthy, and has been fortunate to have him on the roster for the past three seasons. Gillikin’s average yards per punt have been 50.6 (2023), 49.7 (2024), and 51.7 (2025). That is complete consistency.
Ryland after what had been a season with the occasional miss. He was a perfect 36-36 on PATs, but made just 25 of 33 on field goal attempts. The completion ratio will need to improve, as last year he hit on 75.8% of field goals. He was 0-1 in kicks of 60+ and went 6-9 on field goals that are in the 50+ range. Without another kick in camp, Ryland will trot out every kick.
The biggest change for 2026 will be at return man. Last year, Bam Knight and Greg Dortch handled the kickoff duties along with Jalen Brooks and Andre Baccellia. Dortch handled the majority of punt returns, but both Baccellia and Steven Sims filled in. Dortch did have an electric 40-yard punt return last year against the San Francisco 49ers. But other than that, the return game had few highlights.
Last year, it was lots of guys taking kickoffs and punts. This year, it appears Devin Duvernay will handle return duties for both kickoffs and punts. He is a very good returner. While with the Chicago Bears, he was a key weapon who was able to flip the field, being a former track star. His return stats were pretty dad gum good. He was returning both punts and kickoffs with averages of 13.8 in punt returns and 27.5 in kickoffs. He made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022 as an AFC specialist.
By bringing in Duvernay, this is one less problem box that doesn’t need to be checked. He will handle it. Hopefully, backup safety Joey Blount makes the final roster again this season for the fourth consecutive year. He is an excellent gunner and a sure tackler.
