The Detroit Lions will be on a hunt for special teams reinforcements. Returner Tom Kennedy suffered a knee injury against the Arizona Cardinals that will sideline him for the entire 2026 season. It is a brutal blow to both player and team. For Kennedy, he had been a mainstay on the Lions practice squad since 2019 (back in the Matt Patricia days), but 2026 was his best opportunity to establish a permanent roster spot for himself. After a solid start to the season as a kickoff and punt return, he now
heads to the Injured Reserve.
As for the Lions, they now have to do some scouting for his replacement. Kennedy had 15 returns thus far in 2026 and Detroit will need someone to replace that productivity. Will their new returner come from the active 53-man roster? Will they elevate someone from the practice squad? Or will they search for external options in the form of free agents or practice squaders?
Let us examine some of the tires that Detroit could kick in the coming days.
Internal
Active roster:
- Tay Martin: limited punt return experience (two in college, zero in the UFL or NFL), no kickoff returns
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: has experience as a punt returner in college (19 returns for 107) and is the Lions emergency punt return option (he had two punt returns versus the Cardinals after Kennedy’s injury)
- Isaac TeSlaa: zero kickoff or punt return experience at any level
- Jameson Williams: zero punt returns in college or NFL, but had role as kickoff returner in 2021 at Alabama (10 returns for 352 yards and two touchdowns)
- Jahmyr Gibbs: zero punt returns in college or NFL, but was frequent kickoff returner at Georgia Tech and Alabama (44 returns for 1052 yards and one touchdown)
- Jacob Saylors: one of Detroit’s current kickoff returners (13 returns for 338 yards), but zero experience returning punts at any level
- Sione Vaki: limited experience as a kickoff returner in college (one return) and NFL (four returns), no experience as a punt returner
- Khalil Dorsey: has 16 career kickoff returns, though none since 2024
Of these internal options, St. Brown has the most experience returning punts and has shown the ability to do damage (he had a 31-yard return against the Cardinals). However, given his importance to the offense, do the Lions want to risk him on special teams? Dan Campbell himself said he does not want St. Brown back there for most of the game.
The same can be said about Gibbs and Williams at kick returner: sure, they could be electric returners, but trotting them out on what is typically a violent-yet-unimportant play might be ill-advised. As for Vaki and Dorsey, they might have more value on special teams as blockers and tacklers than returners.
Lions practice squad:
- Lucky Jackson: one punt return in college, but had 13 punt returns for 153 yards in the UFL in 2026. Also had one kickoff return in the UFL for 23 yards
- Lawrence Keys: recorded 18 punt returns for 229 yards and 39 kickoff returns for 942 yards across two UFL seasons
- Dominic Lovett: one punt return in college, was involved in kick return competition in training camp this year
- Jabari Small: two preseason kickoff returns with the Lions in 2025 and 2026, zero punt returns
The name that stands out the most on this list is Keys, who not only has significant experience returning both kickoffs and punts, but also has recent experience returning kickoffs and punts. It is worth remembering that the UFL pioneered the dynamic kickoff that the NFL eventually adopted and adapted. Keys has played in that format before, whereas players like Gibbs or Williams (with college experience) have not.
External
Free agents:
- Jabrill Peppers: 87 punt returns and 34 kickoff returns since being drafted in 2017. However, he has not had a return since 2023
- Tyreek Hill: has been an electric player since being drafted in 2016 (13,681 all-purpose yards and five return touchdowns), but has been marred by injury and legal issues
- Raheem Mostert: significant kickoff return experience (76 returns for 1,846 yards), but no punt returns and is currently 34 years old
- Taysom Hill: multifaceted weapon on offense and special teams and has crossover with Dan Campbell from their time with the New Orleans Saints, but is currently 36 years old and has just six kickoff returns since 2019
- Tyler Lockett: formerly an elite returner (three-time All-Pro with 130 punt returns and 112 kickoff returns from 2015 to 2018), but has not returned a kick since 2022 and is currently 34 years old
- Caullin Lacy: 2026 undrafted rookie that was waived with an injury settlement by the New York Jets. Recorded 86 punt returns and 34 kickoff returns in college
- Cedrick Wilson: Wilson shined as a receiver in preseason with the Lions but suffered a knee injury and ended up on Injured Reserve. However, he was released with an injury settlement on August 26, meaning that he would be eligible to re-sign after the settlement period plus three weeks elapses. Wilson has 37 career punt returns and three kickoff returns, but he did not see any action there in preseason.
While I think it would be worth checking on the injury status of Lacy and Wilson, none of the other players stand out. Experience is unquestionably important, but age is a factor working against most of these names. Most of the younger and/or experienced returners are signed to active or practice squad rosters—the ones that are leftover are available for a reason.
Practice squads:
- A.J. Henning (MIA): 79 punt returns and 33 kickoff returns in college with Michigan (2020-2022) and Northwestern (2023-2024)
- Gage Larvadain (BAL): 24 punt returns for 167 yards with Cleveland Browns in 2025 as an undrafted rookie
- James Proche (CLE): veteran punt returner with 68 career punt returns for 591 yards
- Trebor Peña (JAX): 2026 undrafted rookie, recorded 63 punt returns and 37 kickoff returns over a six-year college career
- Kolbe Katsis (DEN): 2026 undrafted rookie, recorded three punt returns for 39 yards (including a 28-yarder) and four kickoff returns for 107 yards after being elevated for Denver’s Week 3 game
- Deven Thompkins (LV): undersized (5-foot-8 and 155 pounds) but has 91 combined punt and kickoff returns since 2022
- Dylan Drummond (ATL): former undrafted rookie with the Lions in 2023. Limited professional experience (four kickoff returns in 2025) but had 21 punt returns and 18 kickoff returns in college at Eastern Michigan
- Xavier Smith (SF): Smith was the Rams’ starting returner from 2024 to 2026 but was waived on October 2. Though he has ample experience as a returner (43 punt returns and 19 kickoff returns), he garnered some infamy for muffing two punts in the Rams’ 2025 NFC Championship loss, one of which set up the Seattle Seahawks deep in Rams territory and wound up costing Los Angeles the game
Practice squad poaching could be an option for the Lions, especially since the injury to Kennedy will open up a roster spot. There is a mix of veterans and youngsters for Detroit to contemplate, and there is no necessarily right approach. Out of these players, I would pay the most attention to Thompkins and Katsis. Thompkins has enough professional experience where he could slot in instantly without missing a beat. As for Katsis, he did have a muffed punt offset by a penalty, but Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi—a veteran coordinator who overlapped with Dan Campbell in Miami and New Orleans—remained optimistic about Katsis’ potential as a returner.
Verdict
The Lions have many avenues to explore, but I think the likeliest option is to promote internally. I do not want to risk injuring a player like St. Brown or Gibbs on special teams despite the potential upside. Therefore, given the lack of alternatives on the active roster, I think the best choice is to sign someone from the practice squad.
That person is shaping up to be Lawrence Keys, who is perhaps the easiest option to replace Kennedy’s production as a kickoff and punt returner. Kennedy was hardly involved on offense (just one snap so far this season), so his replacement can be a pure special teamer. Keys fits the bill in that regard. It is worth remembering that Keys was waived with an injury settlement in early August and did not have an opportunity to play in preseason or most of training camp. Keys was re-signed on September 30 (likely due to his injury settlement period) and the fact that Lions signed him quickly is perhaps an indication that they like his ability. It is also worth noting that he was not signed as a corresponding move due to an injury—when Amen Ogbongbemiga got signed to the active roster, the Lions outright signed Keys. The Lions wanted him on the roster despite no injury concerns at receiver or returner.
Keys looks like the most obvious solution for the Lions. While he lacks NFL experience, I would feel confident enough in his UFL performance to slot him into the special teams unit.
