So Far, So Good for New Chiefs Punter Tommy Townsend
For the first time in 15 seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs are looking for a fourth-down man as the team released longtime punter Dustin Colquitt this offseason. The good news for the Chiefs? It didn’t take long for them to find their guy.
The Chiefs brought in several candidates to compete for the punter vacancy, including former Florida punter Tommy Townsend, who the team signed after the draft. As the offseason went on, the field whittled away and the man left standing was Townsend.
Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said they had been keeping an eye on the Ray Guy Award semifinalist.
“We originally saw Tommy at the combine, and I felt like he was the best punter at the combine,” Toub said. “We had a draftable grade on him — obviously, he wasn’t drafted, so he was a guy that we went after real strong and those guys did a great job of being able to get him in our building. I’m really happy with his performance so far. He’s done a great job. He’s really consistent. He really bombs the ball. He gets the ball off quick, he’s athletic. He’s everything you’re looking for.”
It’s his athleticism, Toub said, that is helping him adjust quickly to the vacancy that Colquitt left. Townsend not only takes on the role of punting, but holding on field goals and extra-point attempts as well.
Toub said the group of long snapper James Winchester, kicker Harrison Butker and Townsend have put in the work this offseason to get the 23-year-old to where he needs to be.
“He’s doing a great job with his hands,” Toub said. “He’s got very soft hands and he’s a natural catcher. It’s been so smooth. It’s a credit to those guys because they worked hard. During the offseason, they worked together, and they did stuff on their own and they came in here at a high level. They didn’t come in here just starting out, so it’s a credit to Tommy, it’s a credit to Butker how much work they did during the offseason to get to this point.”
Townsend has assumed the backup kickoff duties during camp to give Butker a rest and has also shown the ability to kick field goals, but Toub said although they are impressed by what Townsend brings to the team, Butker doesn’t have to worry about the rookie punter taking his job.
“Tommy, like I said, he can do a lot of different things — he can kick off, he can kick field goals,” Toub said. “But Butker is the number one — in my mind — is the best kickoff man in the league. Nobody can hang that ball like Butker can and he can kick any kick that you ask him to do. So, we’re not going to put him on the sideline, that’s for sure. But Tommy is somebody that can come in and he can do it all, and we’re very pleased with Tommy.”
