Jan 17, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; A New England Patriots helmet sits on a table prior to a press conference at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Jeremy Springer Keeps Kickoff Returner Job Wide Open as Patriots Prepare for Season 1
The New England Patriots have plenty of questions to answer before the season opener; however, one of them is hiding in plain sight. Who actually wants the kickoff return job?
Special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer is not ready to give anyone the title. The Patriots have several players capable of handling returns, and Springer made it clear that the final decision could come down to something as simple as who is active on game day.
Jeremy Springer Keeps New England Patriots Returner Job Open
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Aug 13, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel watches from the sideline during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Springer was asked about the Patriots’ kickoff returner and refused to put a name on it. Instead, he pointed to the number of options on the roster and said the decision will depend partly on the active list each week. That keeps one of the team’s special-teams jobs unsettled heading into the regular season.
Jeremy Springer won’t name a kickoff returner. He said they have a number of guys who can do it and it depends on who’s active pic.twitter.com/eZL34MArvd
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) September 6, 2026
That answer is pretty telling. The Patriots are not necessarily looking for one player to handle every kickoff. With roster spots changing from week to week, the Patriots can afford to keep the competition open and choose from multiple return-capable players depending on the matchup and overall game-day personnel.
Marcus Jones is an obvious name in that conversation. He has already shown what he can do with the ball in his hands, including averaging 14.8 yards per punt return in 2024. Jones has also been valuable beyond returns, which makes his role a little more complicated. If the Patriots need him on offense or defense, they have to account for that when setting the active roster.
That flexibility fits with the way Springer has approached special teams since taking over in the Patriots. The unit has gone from a major weakness to one of the more reliable parts of the roster. In 2024, the Patriots’ special teams earned a 90.3 PFF grade, ranking second in the league.
Springer also has reason to trust a deep group. Kicker Andy Borregales hit 84.4% of his field-goal attempts as a rookie in 2025 and went 4-for-4 from 50-plus yards. Brenden Schooler and Jones made their own impact, while Borregales, Jones, and Antonio Gibson each earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors during the season.
That matters here because the returner is not being chosen in isolation. Springer has built a unit where individual jobs overlap. A player who can return kicks might also be needed on coverage teams. Another might offer more value on offense. Someone else could simply have the best fit for a particular opponent.
Springer has had plenty going on away from the practice field, too. Earlier this offseason, he got engaged to NBC Sports host Kayla Burton after proposing on June 19 in San Diego. The personal milestone came during a busy stretch for Springer, who was also working through another season with a Patriots special-teams unit that has become one of the stronger parts of the roster.