Another Wednesday, another player of the week for the Houston Texans.
Texans punter Tommy Townsend was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the NFL announced today. This is the first time since Week 5 that a special teams player has been given the honor since Ka’imi Fairbairn in the win over
In Saturday’s 20-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Townsend pinned the Bolts inside the 20-yard line on four of his five punts. Two of Townsend’s five punts were downed inside the 10-yard line, including a punt that was downed at the 2-yard line by Ja’Marcus Ingram. In addition, Townsend served as the holder on two successful field goals from K Ka’imi Fairbairn and two successful extra points.
For the season, Townsend has pinned 28 punts inside opponents’ 20-yard line, tied for fourth in the NFL and third in the AFC. He’s punted 69 times and recorded a 41.9 net punting average. Since signing with the Texans in 2024, Townsend has placed 67 punts inside the 20, the most of any player in the NFL, while serving as the team’s primary holder on field goals and extra points.
Week 17’s accolade marks Townsend’s fourth career AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor and his first since Week 15 of the 2022 season, meaning it’s his first in a Texans’ uniform.
With Derek Stingley Jr. winning the award in Week 16, it marks the first time since 2024 when Fairbairn (Week 5) and Will Anderson Jr. (Week 6) won in back-to-back weeks that Texans players earned the honor two weeks in a row.
Townsend is the first Houston punter to win the award since P Shane Lechler did so in Week 8 in 2016.
The Texans close out the regular season at home against the Indianapolis Colts.