ARIZONA — There’s one player who can make a difference for the Arizona Cardinals that nobody is talking about.
Special teams is often overlooked, though Cardinals punter Blake Gillikin has the ability to change games in the desert.
Gillikin’s 50.6 yard-per-punt average ranked fourth in the NFL last season and so too did his season-long punt of 77 yards.
Simply put, Gillikin’s leg can swing Arizona’s field position massively in their favor more times than not – and one analyst believes he’ll garner his first All-Pro honors in 2024 as a result:
“Gillikin isn’t known nationally having languished in obscurity with the four-win Cardinals last season, but he was one of the league’s best punters. He had a 50.6-yard average, along with a net of 42.9 last season. While Arizona hopes to punt less this year, Gillikin can bail them out when called upon,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame, who picked Gillikin in his team of players who can reach All-Pro status for the first time this season.
Gillikin is just 26-years-old and re-signed with Arizona on a two-year deal this offseason.
He first entered the league after going undrafted in 2020 with the New Orleans Saints, where he punted for the squad through 2022. The Cardinals brought Gillikin on last October.
Gillikin eventually became the third Cardinals punter in franchise history to not punt in a game in Arizona’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.
The Cardinals certainly do hope to utilize Gillikin less in 2024 with additional offensive weapons added, though if called upon, Arizona knows they have a reliable boot to pin opposing offenses deep.
Source link : https://www.si.com/nfl/cardinals/arizona-cardinals-latest-news/punter-predicted-finish-all-pro
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Publish date : 2024-07-22 12:35:55
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