Detroit Lions special teams preview ahead of 2026 camp
The Detroit Lions enter 2026 training camp with a stable kicking trio of Jake Bates, Hogan Hatten, and Jack Fox, but a wide-open battle to replace Kalif Raymond as primary punt returner. Greg Dortch leads early, with Tom Kennedy, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Isiah Pacheco also in the mix for return roles that will define camp.
Key Takeaways
- Kicker Jake Bates, long snapper Hogan Hatten, and punter Jack Fox return as the core specialists.
- Kalif Raymond and linebacker Grant Stuard are key special teams losses this offseason.
- Punt and kick return jobs are the best competitions heading into camp.
- Coverage standouts include Sione Vaki and All-Pro Jack Campbell, with rookies Jimmy Rolder and Keith Abney II expected to help.
- The unit ranked 13th by Sports Illustrated last year and is projected among the league's top 10 for 2026.
Who is set at kicker, punter, and long snapper?
Consistency is the story for Detroit's specialists. Per the official Lions preview, Fox, Bates, and Hatten form a veteran operations group that coordinator Dave Fipp can build around.
Fox remains one of the NFL's top punters. He owns the highest gross (48.4) and net (43.1) averages in team history and ranked seventh last season in pinning opponents inside the 20. He also had 13 punts inside the 10, second only to Houston's Tommy Townsend.
Bates saw his field-goal rate fall from 89.7% in 2024 (26-for-29) to 79.4% in 2025 (27-for-34), largely from 50-plus range (4-for-9 after 6-for-8). He was perfect from inside 40 and 9-for-11 from 40-49. He is 6-for-6 on go-ahead or game-tying kicks in the final two minutes or overtime as a Lion, scored 135 points last season, and is one of only four NFL kickers with at least 135 points in each of his first two seasons.
Who replaces Kalif Raymond on returns?
For the first time since 2021, the Detroit Lions need a new primary punt returner after Raymond left in free agency. He broke Mel Gray's franchise return-yardage record last season.
Detroit signed Greg Dortch, who took many of the first return reps in OTAs and minicamp. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp compared his body type to Raymond's and noted Dortch's durability. Dortch has returned 92 punts over the last four seasons, averaging better than 9.0 yards.
Tom Kennedy averaged 16.7 yards per return late last season. Amon-Ra St. Brown has punt-return experience, and running back Isiah Pacheco also worked returns in OTAs. Pacheco, Dortch, and Kennedy could also compete on kickoffs. Coverage remains a strength led by third-year running back Sione Vaki, while Campbell posted 10 special teams tackles last year—the first player since 1994 with at least 165 defensive tackles and 10 special teams stops in a season.
Why do special teams still shape the Lions roster?
Detroit finished ninth-fewest in special teams penalties (15) and ninth-best in average starting field position after kickoffs (31.1 yards) last season. Senior writer Tim Twentyman still sees a top-10 unit if the return battle settles cleanly.
Linebacker depth remains tied to the third phase. Pride of Detroit notes the club did not re-sign core special teamer Grant Stuard, and rookies such as Jimmy Rolder are expected to earn early special teams snaps while learning defense. For more camp angles across tech-forward sports coverage, visit our Future Tech & AI Wonders hub.
Overall, the specialists are locked in. The open return jobs—and how healthy Vaki stays—will decide how loud this unit plays in 2026.