Jaydon Mickens named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jaydon Mickens has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

In the Jaguars’ victory over the Bengals on Sunday, Mickens, appearing in his second career game and on his second career punt return, took a Bengals punt 63 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give Jacksonville a 23-7 lead.

Mickens finished the game with three punt returns for 82 yards for a 27.3 punt return average. The fourth quarter punt return touchdown marked the sixth career punt return score in franchise history and the first since Rashad Greene on December 13, 2015 against the Indianapolis Colts.

As the only player in the NFL to score a punt return touchdown or kick return touchdown in Week 9, Mickens became the fifth player in franchise history to return a punt for a score and his 63-yard score is tied for the sixth-longest punt return in franchise history. Mickens joins Greene (December 13, 2015 vs. Indianapolis), Mike Thomas (December 18, 2010 at Indianapolis), Bobby Shaw (October 6, 2002 vs. Philadelphia) and Reggie Barlow (November 21, 1999 vs. New Orleans and September 13, 1998 vs. Kansas City) as the only players in Jaguars history to return a punt for a score.

Mickens was originally signed to the Jaguars’ practice squad on September 18 and was promoted to the active roster on October 21. He began his career as an undrafted rookie on May 12, 2016, and spent the entire 2016 season on the Oakland Raiders’ practice squad.