Although this field doesn't always get the attention it deserves, the greatest kick returners of all time are special players who deserve recognition. For some reason, these players don't necessarily have the skills to be among the greatest receivers or running backs of all time.
But if you give them the chance with the ball in their hands at a kick-off or a free-kick, they can work magic.
Ranking the greatest NFL kick returners of all time
Throughout NFL history, there have been many players who have stood out as both kick returners and kick return specialists. It seems like every generation has at least two truly elite players in this area of the game. We decided to look back through NFL history and pick the five greatest kick returners of all time.
5. Desmond Howard
Although he never lived up to expectations as a Heisman Trophy winner and fourth overall pick in the draft, Desmond Howard was still a dangerous punt returner during his NFL career. Howard's 1996 season alone makes him an all-time legend among punt returners. That season, he set the NFL record for most punt return yards with three punt returns and a touchdown.
That doesn't include Howard's 99-yard kickoff return that scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl that season. That touchdown helped secure the Packers' victory and earned Howard Super Bowl MVP honors, a rare feat for a return specialist.
4. Josh Krebs
After being undrafted, it didn't take long for Josh Cribbs to replace himself as the Browns' top kick returner. In each of his first five seasons, he racked up over 1,000 yards on kickoff returns, scoring eight kickoff returns during that span before his productivity began to decline.
Cribbs also added three penalty kicks for touchdowns during his career while going to the Pro Bowl three times. Cribbs was selected to the NFL All-Decade Team in the 2000s as a penalty kicker.
3. Eric Metcalf
There was a time when Eric Metcalf was the best returner in NFL history. He wasn’t bad at all as a quarterback and a pass receiver. But Metcalf was at his best as a returner.
He had 10 punt returns for a score in his career, including one that came more than a decade after he had been in the NFL. At the time of Metcalf's retirement, those 10 punt returns for a score were the all-time NFL record. His 12 punt returns total remains third on the all-time list while Metcalf's exploits in the return game are the reason he was a three-time All-Pro and two-time All-Pro.
2. Brian Mitchell
Although he's not the most dynamic kick returner of all time, most of the records in this category belong to Brian Mitchell. He holds the NFL all-time records for kickoff return yards and punt return yards, as well as fair catches.
With all his time as a returner, Mitchell ranks second only to Jerry Rice in total yards in NFL history. Obviously, he had plenty of opportunities as a kick returner to put up those kinds of numbers. But the reason for that is that Mitchell finished his career with 13 touchdowns on special teams, which ranks second all-time behind only the returner who tops our list.
1. Devin Hester
Devin Hester is undoubtedly the greatest kick returner in NFL history. He is a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee for holding the record for 20 career kick returns, including 14 kick returns, which is also an NFL record.
Hester spent his prime with the Chicago Bears, returning to Chicago from 2006 to 2013. His exploits with the Bears and then two seasons with the Falcons helped land Hester on the NFL All-Decade Team for both the 2000s and 2010s, a testament to how special a running back he was. Last but not least, what sets Hester apart from the rest is the fact that he remains the only player to have ever returned a kickoff in a Super Bowl for a touchdown.
