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Former Alabama punter J.K. Scott, after spending just two days as an unrestricted free agent, inked a new deal on March 17 with the Los Angeles Chargers worth $4 million, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
Scott, who was drafted in the fifth round in 2018 to the Green Bay Packers, has had a unique NFL career.
A promising start in his rookie season, averaging over 44 yards per kick, set Scott apart as one of the league’s top young specialists. His success continued in 2019, when he was again among the upper echelon punters again. In 2020, he put together possibly his best season yet, averaging 45.5 yards per punt, good for 22nd in the league.
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Getty ImagesJ.K. Scott as a member of the Green Bay Packers in 2021.
In August 2021, just weeks before the start of Scott’s fourth season in Green Bay, the Packers acquired punter Corey Bojorquez in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams and waived Scott, leaving Scott him without an NFL home.
He spent most of the year out of the league until the Jacksonville Jaguars signed the former Tide star in December. Scott appeared in just one game that season, a Week 17 50-10 beatdown at the hands of the New England Patriots.
In March 2022, Scott signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers for the league minimum: $965,000. In his first season with the Chargers, the once-promising young punter seemed to revive his career, as Los Angeles finished with the league’s best punt team unit.
What Sets J.K. Scott Apart?
While his comeback season in Los Angeles came with much success, helping the team to the NFL’s best punt coverage unit, Scott’s punt averages took a slight dip from his time in Green Bay.
Despite averaging a career low of just 43.6 yards per kick, the Chargers allowed only 3.1 yards per return; so what is it about Scott that sets him apart from other NFL punters?
Hang time.
“Hang time’s huge,” Scott told reporters on December 3. “It just gives guys a chance to get down there. It’s amazing what a half second’ll do with the coverage team to be able to get into position. And so since the beginning of the year, that’s been our goal.”
Remembering Scott’s Legendary Crimson Tide Career
Scott joined the Crimson Tide in 2014 as just a three-star recruit, but was the first ranked punter in the nation, according to On3. Hailing from Denver, Colorado, he chose Alabama over not only his home state school of Colorado, but some of the top programs in the country like Notre Dame.
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Getty ImagesJ.K. Scott as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2016.
From 2014-2017, Scott put together possibly the best career any punter has ever seen in a Crimson Tide uniform. He was a First Team All-American and finalist for the Ray Guy award in two seasons, and set records for not only career punting yards with over 11,000, but punting average as well with 45.6 yards per kick.
While his start in the NFL was a bit unexpected for someone who left such a strong legacy behind at Alabama, it looks as if Scott has found his home in Los Angeles with the Chargers.
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