The Falcons keep one of the league’s best punt returners off the punt returner depth chart.

The Atlanta Falcons sustained a big blow early last offseason when punt returner Avery Williams went down with a season-ending injury. The loss showed itself during the regular season as the team was among the worst in average yards per punt return.

Williams is healthy going into his fourth season in the NFL. However, he appears to have lost his spot as a punt returner which is hard to believe.

League’s best punt returner no longer used in that role with the Falcons

Everything in the NFL is subject to change but as of right now, the Falcons have Ray-Ray McCloud III and Mike Hughes as the starter and backup at punt returner with Avery Williams nowhere to be found.

In 2022, the Falcons had the best punt return unit in the NFL. While punt returners aren’t solely responsible for the success, they play a huge part. Avery Williams was a stud helping to gain valuable yards for an inconsistent offense.

Everything changed last season when the Dirty Birds fell to the depths of the rankings. They went from being first in yards per punt return (16.2 yds) to 30th (7.2 yds). That drop of 29 spots is staggering and Williams is the common denominator.

I don’t have an issue with Ray-Ray McCloud being the primary return man. They signed him knowing he would likely be the guy but listing Mike Hughes as the backup is tragic.

Hughes has averaged 7.9 yards per return in his career (6.1 yds in 2023) while Williams has averaged 11.7 yards during his short career (16.2 yds in 2022).

Also ask yourself, who would you rather risk injury as a punt returner: the starting outside cornerback Mike Hughes or the third-string running back Avery Williams? If you need extra reason to pick the running back, the Falcons have one of the deepest running back units and one of the thinnest cornerback units in the NFL.

It all becomes even more surprising when you consider Marquice Williams is still the special team coordinator, he knows firsthand what the converted running back can do with the ball in his hands.

With all that being said, I don’t think we should be rioting over who is the backup punt returner. Nevertheless, remember this is the preseason and guys will get rotated. Fortunately, the coaching staff doesn’t have to adhere to their depth chart so we will likely see Avery Williams get some action doing what he does best.