The accolades keep on coming for Detroit Lions’ rookie return man Jamal Agnew as he was selected as the All-NFL return man by the Pro Football Writers of America on Monday. He’s the only member of the Lions to make the list.
This comes after he was already named an All-Pro by the Associated Press. Agnew was joined by fellow teammate Darius Slay on the AP All-Pro team, and Slay was also named to the All-NFC team at cornerback by the PFWA.
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Agnew had a breakout season as a rookie after being drafted in the fifth round of last years NFL Draft. He took over for Andre Roberts, who left the Lions in free agency to go to the Atlanta Falcons in the off-season.
Agnew started out the season with a bang, returning a punt 88 yards for a touchdown in his second game. He led the NFL with a 15.4-yard return average, and was the only player in the league to take two punts back for touchdowns – one for 88 yards and the other for 75 yards. Agnew played in just 13 of the 16 games, as he was limited by an ankle injury during the middle part of the season.
His performance was probably the biggest surprise of the Lions season, as he added a much-needed spark to the Lion’s return game. Coming out of San Diego, he was considered just an undersized cornerback. General manager Bob Quinn classified the selection as a bet on speed but with a big need for development. That proved to be true at cornerback, but it was a different story on punt returns. It’s safe to say, with an All-NFL selection by the Pro Football Writers and an All-Pro selection by the Associated Press, that Quinn’s bet paid off.
