Kansas City Chiefs WR Demarcus Robinson saw some action on special teams in preseason Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.
The former 2016 fourth-round draft pick returned the first two punts against the Cardinals on Friday, averaging just 2.5 yards per punt return. He had opportunities to get a few more positive yards, but in an effort to make something more happen, Robinson found himself dancing around rather than getting up the field. It was a hair-pulling performance by the veteran wideout — one that earned frustration from Chiefs fans and from Special Teams coordinator Dave Toub alike.
When asked specifically about Robinson’s performance, Toub cut off the reporter, voicing his frustration over what he’d seen from Robinson in Arizona.
“He drives me nuts a little bit,” Toub said of Robinson. “He really does, to be honest, and he knows it.”
This isn’t just a one-off from preseason Week 2 unfortunately, it seems to be a trend from Robinson during his career in Kansas City. He has returned a total of four punts with the Chiefs since 2017 and averaged -6.5 yards per punt return in that span.
Toub detailed some of the things he’d like to see from Robinson that could make him excel a bit more in the role.
“I’d like to see him catch it and keep the ball tight to his body and he doesn’t do that,” Toub continued. “I’d like to see him get north and south, he doesn’t do that. Those are things that we talk about all of the time.”
Despite ongoing conversations, Robinson still seems to struggle with those aspects of returning punts. Sure, he has his strengths as a punt returner, but Toub has made it clear, those strengths alone won’t be enough to earn him an opportunity as the every-down player on his unit in Kansas City.
“He’s a great make you miss guy,” Toub said. “There is probably nobody better, but he’s got to learn to get up the field. He’s a good catcher, so in an emergency situation, you can use him as a guy that can get you through a game, but as an every-down guy, he’s got a ways to go.”
Robinson’s roster status was never dependent upon special teams, or specifically the punt returner role. He didn’t do himself any favors against the Cardinals, but the fact that Toub still regards him as someone who can return punts in an emergency situation is important. Entering his sixth year in the league, however, you’d expect this player to be a little further along in Toub’s system.
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