From NFL rookie to record-setter, Ryan Rehkow is making history with the Bengals.
When Ryan Rehkow was signed as an undrafted rookie, no one expected him to make the Cincinnati Bengals roster, but the punter has certainly made an impact this NFL season.
In fact, the 26-year-old is achieving things no punter has done before in NFL history.
Rehkow made a huge debut by launching his first career punt 80 yards, setting a Bengals franchise record for the longest punt. In Week 1, he averaged 64.5 yards per punt over four kicks, setting an NFL record for the highest punting average in a single game.
While some thought his Week 1 performance was a fluke, Rehkow has maintained his form through his first four games, with a 58.4-yard average, which would shatter the previous record of 53.1 yards.
It doesn’t stop there—so far this season, the Bengals have allowed only 39 punt return yards, and Rehkow’s net punting average of 49.7 yards would also be a single-season NFL record.
Though his performances have been remarkable, Rehkow isn’t flawless. His ratio of three touchbacks to two punts inside the 20-yard-line leaves room for improvement. Still, his performance led the Bengals to cut their previous punter, Brad Robbins, after Robbins recovered from an injury.
Rehkow has been one of the few bright spots in a rough start to the Bengals’ season. After opening with a disappointing home loss to the New England Patriots and a narrow defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals were expected to rebound against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football but were outplayed, losing 38-33.
The team finally notched their first win with a 34-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers and will aim to make it two in a row against the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday.
