Since losing Antonio Gibson to a torn ACL in Week 5, the New England Patriots have shuffled through several kickoff returners. It seems they might have found a permanent one in rookie Kyle Williams.

A third-round draft pick earlier this year, Williams took his first snaps at the position last Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. The results were promising, and included a 36-yard runback that was the Patriots’ longest since Gibson scored a 90-yard touchdown in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins.

For special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer, the results themselves were not the only important takeaway from Williams’ performance.

“I love the way he played,” Springer said on Friday. “He’s a speed guy, right? And then on top of that, in this new dynamic kickoff, you can’t really have any fe

See Full Page