Tom Kennedy appointed Lions' is currently the main responder of strikes. That's what special teams coordinator Dave Fipp told the media Thursday at his weekly press conference, saying Kennedy has done enough to retain the role.
Caliph Raymond will continue to serve as the kick returner as Fipp offered his thoughts on the two roles.
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“Obviously, Kalief is an incredible player for us, so I would love to have him start as our kick returner, and I would definitely want Tom Kennedy to be a part of the kick return game,” Fipp said. Kennedy has been working in the kick return game in Raymond's place since his ankle injury in Week 12 and has done a very good job in those two weeks, including averaging 40 yards per kick return in Week 14 against the Cowboys.
Although Raymond is close to returning – his training was limited to two days this week – Kennedy will still be one of two starters. Raymond could very well join Kennedy at depth and also be the primary punt returner when healthy. Jacob Sailors is another option that could support Kennedy.
Fipp was delighted with Kennedy and the work he has done over the past two weeks to keep the return game consistent.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am for Tom Kennedy,” Fipp said. via Jeremy Raisman of SB Nation. “I mean, there's no one who deserves attention and recognition more than him in this building. I mean a guy who's just worked his ass off every single day the entire time he's been here. Never complained about the reputation he gets, the opportunities he gets. Does he know he can do something better than maybe some other guy who gets a chance before him. And then for him to get the opportunity and then go out there and make the most of it, you should give him a lot of credit.”
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Kennedy turned a question mark into an exclamation point, and the Lions now have two very reliable kickers at their disposal.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Tom Kennedy will remain a kick-taker, says Dave Fipp
