Getty Jamal Agnew celebrates after a touchdown.
The Detroit Lions have one of the NFL’s true game changing weapons at their disposal in cornerback Jamal Agnew, and his work on the field only proves how elite he has been.
Sunday, Agnew returned a punt for a score against the Denver Broncos and made a little history in the process. With the touchdown, Agnew put himself amongst royalty in league history in terms of special teams players. Agnew’s 4 career special teams touchdowns, with one coming via a punt return and the others via kickoff, helped him join an exclusive club.
Since 1995, only 5 @NFL players have logged 3 punt return TDs & 1 kickoff return TDs within their first 3 career seasons:
– Jamal Agnew (@jamalagnew)
– Tyreek Hill (@cheetah)
– Devin Hester (@D_Hest23)
– Eddie Drummond
– Steve Smith Sr.
As the franchise pointed out, since 1995, nobody has been better early in their career at making electric plays than Agnew. He joins the likes of Tyreek Hill, Devin Hester, Eddie Drummond and Steve Smith as the only ones to accomplish this unique feat on a football field. Those players are known as some of the greats of the game in terms of making big plays in the return game.
Special teams is the way Agnew is making his mark in the league, and he’s doing quite a good job of it early in his career.
Jamal Agnew Punt Return Video
Agnew, who doesn’t see the field much on defense, is a player who has carved out his niche role on special teams, and he has done a great job being a game changer there. Against the Broncos, Agnew took a punt to the house in the first half, and was able to bounce the ball to the middle of the field, make a few cuts and take the kick to the house for the score and the 10-0 lead.
Here’s a look at the play:
.@jamalagnew takes it to the HOUSE❗️
Agnew previously took a kickoff to the house against the Philadelphia Eagles early this season, so this just goes to show how dangerous he is no matter where the kick is coming on the field.
Now, he’s got the big name status to prove how solid of a career he could have as well.
Jamal Agnew’s Stats With Lions
The Lions uncovered a potential hidden gem when they found Agnew in the fifth round of the draft in 2017. He quickly burst on the scene as an electric returner and in his career has managed to rack up plenty of return yards and touchdowns. Two of his four scores came in his rookie season, when he was named an All-Pro special teams player. In 2019, the Lions managed to get a 100 yard kickoff return for a score from Agnew to help in defeating the Philadelphia Eagles on the road.
Agnew’s stats as a cornerback are much more limited given he hasn’t played much there through the years. In his career in the NFL, he has only defended a pass and has 17 tackles to his credit. Obviously, the Lions prefer to save Agnew for the special teams given his electrifying moves. It’s obvious that is what fans know about him thus far in his career most of all.
With another dramatic, big play, Agnew has cemented himself as a true danger on special teams in the league, and this stat only proves why that is the case.
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