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The Kansas City Chiefs are attempting to retain All-Pro punter Tommy Townsend this offseason by way of a tender. The Chiefs are giving Townsend the low tender, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo on March 10.
Giving Townsend a low tender means the Chiefs will receive no compensation if another NFL team signs Townsend to an offer sheet and Kansas City doesn’t match it. However, if Townsend does sign his tender with the Chiefs he will be paid $2.6 million for the 2023 season.
Twitter users reacted to Kansas City tendering Townsend.
“Incredible. After watching what happened in the AFC title game and the Super Bowl, the Chiefs are gonna mess around with their All Pro PUNTER?!?! I have to assume the intent is to match other offers. This isn’t where the cap savings is to be found,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Man, a lot of people not realizing how good this kid is. I definitely hope they can reach a deal and resign him,” another user wrote.
Townsend Coming Off of First Ever All-Pro Season
Tommy Townsend, 26, entered the NFL undrafted out of Florida and signed with the Chiefs in April 2020. Three days later, the Chiefs released veteran punter Dustin Colquitt, who had been with the team for 15 seasons, marking the official start of the Townsend era in Kansas City.
Since becoming the Chiefs’ full-time starter in 2020, Townsend has averaged 47.6 yards per punt during the regular season and has had 62 of 142 total punts downed inside the opponent’s 20 yard line, according to Pro Football Reference. During the playoffs, he has averaged 43.3 yards per punt and has had 11 of 24 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20 yard line.
During the 2022-2023 regular season, Townsend ranked second in the NFL in punt average (50.4), first in net average (45.6), and tied for the second-longest punt of the season (76), per NFL.com. These stats are a large part of the reason why he was named an All-Pro this past season for the first time in his career.
Townsend had a total of 10 punts during Kansas City’s Super Bowl run, and 5 of them were down inside the opponent’s 20 yard line. His longest punt went for 60 yards, which is the farthest punt he has had during the playoffs in his three-year career, per Pro Football Reference.
Chiefs Players Set to Hit Free Agency
Here’s a list of all the Chiefs players that are set to be free agents when the 2023 league year officially begins on March 15:
- OT Orlando Brown Jr.
- OT Andrew Wylie
- OT Prince Tega Wanogho (RFA)
- OG Nick Allegretti
- WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
- WR Mecole Hardman
- WR Justin Watson
- WR Cornell Powell
- DE Carlos Dunlap
- DT Derrick Nnadi
- DT Khalen Saunders
- DT Tershawn Wharton (RFA)
- RB Ronald Jones II
- DT Brandon Williams
- TE Blake Bell
- TE Jody Fortson
- TE Jordan Franks
- FB Michael Burton
- S Deon Bush
- S Juan Thornhill
- RB Jerick McKinnon
- QB Shane Buechele (ERFA)
- LB Darius Harris (RFA)
Chiefs Get 3 Compensatory Picks for 2023
In other Chiefs-related news, the defending Super Bowl champions were awarded three compensatory picks as part of the NFL’s compensatory formula.
The three draft picks awarded to the Chiefs were No. 100, No. 217, and No. 250. Pick No. 100 was the selection traded to the New York Giants in exchange for receiver Kadarius Toney prior to the 2022 trade deadline. So, the Chiefs will have a total of 10 picks for the 2023 NFL Draft, which is set to take place in Kansas City.
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