Kansas City Chiefs special teams ranked No. 2 in NFL

The Kansas City Chiefs came in at No. 2 overall in USA Today’s special teams rankings, which is no surprise under coach Dave Toub.

The latest positional rankings are out from USA Today’s Nate Davis, this time taking a closer look at special teams play throughout the NFL. The Kansas City Chiefs, to no one’s surprise, came in at No. 2 overall, with only the Los Angeles Rams enjoying better overall quality of play than K.C. has under Dave Toub’s leadership.

The Chiefs have boasted excellent special teams ever since Dave Toub came over from the Chicago Bears under Andy Reid’s regime change. Toub is a candidate to eventually leave for a head coaching gig, since he’s received interviews even this offseason for such roles with the Broncos and Chargers.

Nate Davis praises the entire unit in his rankings, from kicker and punter to the returner. He writes:

"Tyreek Hill was the NFL’s pre-eminent punt returner as a rookie, no one eclipsing his two TDs or 15.2-yard average. But his new role as the featured receiver could limit his opportunities, and the Chiefs no longer plan to use him on kickoffs. Dustin Colquitt’s 38 punts inside the 20 paced the AFC, and he rarely allows chunky returns. Cairo Santos’ 88.6% FG rate ranked fifth in the league."

The Chiefs have a decent history of very good returners, including Dante Hall and Tamarick Vanover. That list now certainly includes Hill, who is prepared to take on a much larger role on offense this year. Whether or not he will be as refreshed and ready for special teams play remains to be seen, but Andy Reid has already said he will remain the team’s primary punt returner even with the increased workload.

The other return role is going to come down to other competitors on the roster, the favorite likely being De’Anthony Thomas. That said, it’s also possible to see another name emerging in training camp. Perhaps C.J. Spiller will stand out in the role.