Top 10 Returners Going Into the 2026 NFL Season

We’re back once again with an article about returners! In what has become an annual feature special, we’re ranking the top 10 returners going into the upcoming NFL season. As always, both kick returners and punt returners will be evaluated. Neither type of returner will be favored over the other, but a player who does both might get a few brownie points. Most of the players on this list indeed do both. Rookies will only be included in special cases, as we haven’t seen them play at the NFL level. Field position is critical, and it’s always nicer to start a drive at the 35 than at the 20. These players will help teams do that, so let’s meet them!

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Notes: The teams listed are the players’ current teams. Any team names in (parentheses) denote previous teams that the players were on in 2025 before switching this offseason. Their previous rankings from last year’s edition are also shown.

1. Ka’Vontae Turpin, Cowboys (Previous Ranking: 1)

One of the USFL’s brightest stars continues to excel in the NFL as a returner. Turpin led the league with 1814 kick return yards at a strong 26.3-yard average. A Second-Team All-Pro KR and NFC Pro Bowler, Turpin got very few PR attempts (just 10), but it’s not like someone else took them. Teams simply refused to boot him the ball, showing how scared they are of him. That’s reasonable, as Turpin is a nightmare to track down. His compact build causes defenders to lose him, and his speed and agility make him hard to chase. If Turpin has the ball on space, he’s a big-play threat by default. Nobody strikes as much fear as a return man.

2. Marvin Mims Jr, Broncos (Previous Ranking: 2)

Sorry if this is boring so far, but the top two guys retained their spots on this list through strong play. Like Turpin, Mims had a 26.3-yard average on kick returns, but his opponents were more foolish in the punt game. They kicked him 29 balls for a league-leading 452 yards and a TD. Mims ranked second at 15.6 yards per PR. Another smaller player, Mims has excellent change-of-direction skills and breakaway speed, a combination that makes him particularly dangerous. The Broncos would be making a mistake if they decided not to bring him back after the season. Their special teams would instantly be much worse.

3. Chimere Dike, Titans (Previous Ranking: Not Applicable)

In just one season, Dike has made quite the impression. He had the second-most KR yards in football at 1588 but not quite the same average (25.6) as the top two. I actually liked what he did as a punt returner even better. Dike, the First-Team All-Pro PR and AFC Pro Bowl returner, led the league with 17.3 yards per return, buoyed by 2 PR scores (T-most in the NFL). He’s not as twitchy as some of these other players, but he possesses great vision to see lanes develop. He also has an excellent second gear once he finds a hole. In a lost season for the Titans, they can take solace in the fact that they unearthed a gem.

4. Rashid Shaheed, Seahawks (Previous Ranking: 6)

Fellow Seahawk Tory Horton had a spot on the rookie version of this list last year and was looking great, but the Shaheed trade and subsequent re-signing made the NFC Pro Bowler the team’s returner. That’s no slight at Horton; Shaheed is just that good. The only player to have both PR and KR TDs, Shaheed brings elite skill to both return units. A pure burner, he can accelerate with the best of them. If he gets though a hole, he’s gone. He added a postseason KR TD that practically buried the 49ers before the game truly began. Shaheed’s deep-threat receiving ability is good, but his special teams prowess makes him especially valuable.

5. Isaiah Williams, Jets (Previous Ranking: Not Ranked)

Williams came kind of out of nowhere. He didn’t do too much returning as a rookie for a couple of teams, but the Jets gave him an opportunity last year. To put it mildly, Williams took full advantage. No one else ranked in the top 6 in both KR average (29.9 yards) and PR average (14.1 yards). That latter number benefitted from two punt return scores, which represented some of the only end zone trips for the Jets all season! I tease New York, but it’s great that they actually found a positive during their trying campaign. Williams is an all-around returner who can expect to see plenty of work for another bad Jets team in 2026.

6. Marcus Jones, Patriots (Previous Rank: 5)

For the first time on this year’s list, we have a pure punt returner. That’s because I give a bit of weight to players who can do both return jobs. However, Jones has a claim for being the best punt returner in the NFL. He tied with Dike for the league lead at 17.3 yards per return, he took two to the house, and he earned Second-Team All-Pro honors. Jones is among the smaller football players, but he uses that to great effect. Once defenders spot him, it’s way too late. He also has some of the best open-field moves, and it looks like he’s playing a video game. Jones is a touchdown threat every time he touches the football.

7. Kaden Wetjen, Steelers (Previous Ranking: Not Applicable)

This is the highest I’ve ever ranked a rookie. Wetjen is not your typical rookie returner though. A quick look at his college resume makes that abundantly clear. He was the best returner in the country for Iowa the past two years, earning six return scores. His PR average last year (26.8 yards) was absurd, and it (along with his 3 PR TDs) led the nation. Equally adept at returning kicks, Wetjen projects to be a special player in the return game. Being a 4th rounder as specialist is tough to do, but Wetjen is worthy of it. With numerous moves and excellent speed, he is poised to transition effectively to the NFL and take the league by storm.

8. Kene Nwangwu, Jets (Previous Ranking: Not Ranked)

I’m just as surprised as you are that the Jets got 2 players on this list. Looking at the tape and stats though, both Williams and Nwangwu received enough opportunities to qualify. Nwangwu made his 18 kick returns count, taking them for a league-leading 33.6 yards per clip and scoring once. He was once a staple on this list, but his lack of a role outside of returning made him bounce around a bit. I feel like Nwangwu re-established his value on special teams with NYJ. His breakaway speed is apparent, and his RB style fits the current kickoff format perfectly. The Jets are spoiled for options…on one down at least.

9. Ray Davis, Bills (Previous Ranking: Not Ranked)

While the top of the list mostly held steady, the bottom half had plenty of turnover. Some fresh blood got chances to return for their teams, and a few of those players excelled. One is Davis, who rarely returned kicks prior to 2025. That apparently didn’t matter, as Davis earned First-Team All-Pro KR honors. His average of 30.4 yards per KR was the best of anyone with at least 20 returns. It’s another example of an RB taking well to the new kickoff rules. Their vision is more important than ever. Davis clearly has that skill, and he consistently set the Bills up with better field position than his opponents got.

10. Myles Price, Vikings (Previous Ranking: Not Applicable)

For those keeping track, that’s our third “Not Applicable”. This just demonstrates how much of an impact rookies can have on special teams in the return game. Price ranked 3rd in the league with 1479 kick return yards, and you could see him getting better late in the season. His cuts became more decisive, and he saw openings earlier than he did in the first few weeks of the year. Price added 298 PR yards, giving him more versatility. I saw growth there too, as he started to let his athleticism shine instead of overthinking things. Price has a chance to climb this list if he takes another step forward this coming season.