Since he joined the Lions during the 2014 season, kicker Matt Prater has said he’d like to handle kickoff duties, but for now, punter Sam Martin has a firm grasp on that job.
In 2014, Martin ranked fourth among all kickoff men, according to analytical site Pro Football Focus. Martin hit 53 of his 74 kickoffs for touchbacks, and teams returned just 25.7 percent of Martin’s kickoffs, which ranked second in the league, according to PFF.
“It’s not like we’re going out here to try and determine whether or not Sam is going to be unseated,” coach Jim Caldwell said of any kickoff competition.