KC Chiefs Tommy Townsend named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September

Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend’s powerful right leg often contributes to flipping field position in favor of his team.

Townsend did it frequently through the first three games of the 2022 regular season and he has punted his way to a league honor.

The NFL announced Thursday morning that Townsend was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September.

Townsend, a third-year pro, totaled 11 punts for 611 yards through three games, averaging a head-turning 55.6 yards per attempt. He recorded a career-high 74-yard punt in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Five of Townsend’s punts this season have landed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and his 49.6 net average represents a league-high mark.

Thursday’s announcement marks Townsend’s second career AFC Special Teams Player of the Month. He previously garnered the honor in November 2021.

Townsend, 25, becomes the only Chiefs punter to win the league award multiple times. He joins current teammate, kicker Harrison Butker (three times), and former Chiefs wide receiver/returner Tamarick Vanover (twice) as the only Chiefs players with multiple AFC Special Teams Players of the Month awards.

Townsend originally joined the Chiefs in 2020 as an undrafted free agent out of Florida. He won a brief offseason battle with Tyler Newsome for the right to replace long-time Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt.