The Detroit Lions have a job opening. And for the first time in half a decade, the title is not "punt returner."
Veteran Kalif Raymond departed in free agency this March after a five-year run that special teams coordinator Dave Fipp described as "tremendous." Raymond was, by Fipp's own words, "probably the best punt returner in the game" during his tenure. That is a hard act to follow.
But the league's kickoff rules have changed the equation. The 2026 kick return is not the 2021 version. It is a revamped, reshaped, lower-speed collision that rewards a specific skill set -- quick decision-making, vision, and the ability to catch and accelerate in a confined space. Finding the right man for that job is, as Fipp put it, "going to be crucial."
"You want great players back there," Fipp said this week.
The Lions are looking internally first. Three candidates have emerged from the current roster, each with a different profile, each with a different path to winning the job.
Isaac TeSlaa
The 2025 undrafted wide receiver out of Arkansas is the most intriguing name on the list. TeSlaa flashed in a limited offensive role last season, hauling in 16 catches for 239 yards and six touchdowns. That 14.9 yards-per-catch average and the six scores suggest a player with enough juice to threaten defenses.
But TeSlaa has not returned kicks at the NFL level. Fipp acknowledged that projecting a player into the role requires some extrapolation.
"You're just trying to project with as much information as you have," Fipp said. "Football is football and offensive plays, there's a lot of things that relate."
TeSlaa's college tape at Arkansas and South Dakota State included some return work. He has the size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and straight-line speed to hit a crease hard. The question is whether his quick-twitch ability translates to the reduced space of the new kickoff formation. He is not a natural jitterbug in the mold of Raymond.
Sione Vaki
Vaki is the wild card here. The 2024 fourth-round pick out of Utah is primarily a running back, but his path to the field on offense is blocked by Jahmyr Gibbs, the lead back, and a suddenly crowded running back room that includes Isiah Pacheco and Justin Jackson.
Vaki carried the ball exactly once last season for four yards. That is not a typo. He is not a factor in the offense.
But he is a very good special teams player. Fipp said so directly: "Vaki is a very good special teams player." The caveat? "He's got to stay healthy."
If Vaki can stay on the field, he brings the one thing TeSlaa cannot claim: proven NFL return experience. He returned kicks at Utah -- 28 for 632 yards over two seasons, including a 95-yard touchdown. He has the body type (5-foot-11, 212 pounds) and the running back instincts to find daylight. The Lions also have a history of using unconventional returners in this scheme. A running back with Vaki's skill set fits the profile of what the new kickoff rewards: a one-cut, decisive runner who can hit top speed quickly.
The health piece is real. Vaki appeared in 11 games last season but never established himself as a weekly contributor. If he cannot maintain that availability through training camp, the door swings wide open for the other two.
Steven Gilmore
The cornerback is the longest shot of the three, but he is in the conversation for a reason. Fipp mentioned that the coaching staff is looking at players from "this class coming in" who have "done some things" on special teams. Gilmore, a 2023 undrafted free agent out of Marshall, has bounced between the practice squad and active roster.
Gilmore has never returned a kick in an NFL game. His value to the special teams unit has been as a gunner and coverage player, not as a returner. But the Lions are evaluating everyone. The defensive backs coach has seen enough from Gilmore in practice to warrant a look in camp.
"Finding the returner is going to be crucial," Fipp said. That includes leaving no stone unturned.
The bigger picture
This is not just about picking a name out of a hat. The kick return in 2026 is a high-leverage, low-sample-size play. Teams that get it right -- the ones that can flip field position on a single snap -- gain a subtle but real edge over a 17-game season. The Lions know this. Brad Holmes, the general manager, has invested heavily in specialists elsewhere: Jake Bates at kicker, Jack Fox at punter.
The return game is the final piece of that puzzle.
"We probably added most to the offensive line," Fipp said, referencing the offseason moves, but the special teams coordinator made clear the returner decision is a priority. "Nothing breeds winning and competition. It brings the best out of you."
That quote came from one of Fipp's colleagues this week. It applies perfectly here. The Lions have an open competition at a position that matters more than most casual fans realize. TeSlaa brings the production ceiling. Vaki brings the experience and the special teams pedigree. Gilmore brings the underdog storyline.
The bet here is that Vaki wins the job -- if he stays healthy. His return experience at Utah, his running back vision, and the special teams coordinator's explicit praise all point in that direction. The Lions do not need a gadget player back there. They need a decisive runner who can catch the kick, hit the hole, and get north. That is Vaki's game.
TeSlaa, for his part, might be the better candidate for the new kickoff if it continues to evolve toward a more receiver-friendly look. But Vaki has the proven pedigree. The Lions' special teams coordinator said the job requires a "great player." Vaki has shown he can be that.
Camp opens in July. The competition will sort itself out quickly. The Lions need one of these three to step up.