Dave Toub’s present and past special teams have had many talented players. Andy Reid is known to discover and cocoon young promising players via special teams. It is no exception for the Kansas City Chiefs special teams.
Harrison Butker is the first one that comes to mind. He is one of the best kickers in the entire NFL, and yet, he has not been selected to the Pro Bowl. In three seasons and 51 games with the Chiefs, Butker has hit 89.7 percent of his field goals (96 of 107), which makes him the second-most accurate kicker in NFL history behind Justin Tucker from the Baltimore Ravens.
Butker was a huge weapon for the Chiefs in 2019, and he was a big reason why Kansas City was able to earn a bye.
Anthony Sherman is a veteran player who served as the Chiefs top FB during the 2019 season, doing mostly of his dirty work as a blocker for the Chiefs offense. He also played a key role on special teams, with 310 snaps during the regular season.
Armani Watts might have come to the Chiefs being compared to Eric Berry as a safety, but was mostly used in the special team in his first two seasons. While he had difficulties surpassing Daniel Sorensen, he has high potential. 2020 could be the year to prove it.
Mecole Hardman has had a stellar rookie year, and he is preparing hard to make his second year even better. Hardman established himself as one of the NFL’s premier returners after going to the Pro Bowl last year. He is certainly the proud successor to Tyreek Hill.
Dustin Colquitt is a legend in Kansas City. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub is entering his 20th season as a special teams coach in the NFL and he said he has never come across a punter better than former Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt. His leadership and commitment to the team is recognized by all, which makes him one of the most lovable players in KC these past few years in the community.
James Winchester began trying out in the NFL as a WR when a coach kindly advised him to try as a long snapper. That was the beginning of an adventure. Since 2016, he has been playing for the Chiefs successfully helping Dustin Colquitt and Harrison Butker to be more efficient in their respective roles.
Tyreek Hill is a star WR today in the league. However, he began his career in the NFL as a special teams return specialist. His speed always helped him in his roles with the Chiefs but he had to work hard to improve his receiving skills and routes and become an elite WR.
Daniel Sorensen aka Dirty Dan is a discrete but very appreciated player in the locker room. He is not afraid to do the dirty work, hence his name. Andy Reid always backed him up and has been right so far. His stop against the Texans in the playoffs last year is being called the biggest play in the biggest comeback victory in Kansas City franchise history. Dan Sorensen kept it simple and humble after that big win when asked about his block on the fake punt: “I was just doing my job.”
Dexter McCluster had 3 good seasons with the Chiefs but his first season under the helmet of Andy Reid made him shine in 2013. At the end of that season he was elected for the first time to the Pro Bowl as a punt returner.
De’Anthony Thomas has been called the toughest players on the team by Dave Toub in recent years and it’s no secret that the Chiefs special teams coach is a big fan of Thomas. He was named rookie specialist of the year in 2014 thanks to his agility, speed, and aggressiveness.
We talk a lot about a “run it back season” and special teams are not always appreciated. However, they usually do the dirty work for offenses and defenses to shine. Dave Toub, the special teams coach, is one of the best in the business, and no doubt he will cook up something special for the 2020/2021 season. Who is ready?
