HOUSTON \u2013 Booming punts with serious hangtime, Tommy Townsend hung the football high and with aim.<\/p>\n
Townsend, an All-Pro punter with the Kansas City Chiefs, averaged 47.6 yards per punt with a 41.6 net average and downed 30 punts inside opponents\u2019 20-yard line with five touchbacks. <\/p>\n
Townsend had a 6.9 touchback percentage with a season-long punt of 73 yards for the Texans<\/p>\n
Now, he wants to run it back with the AFC South playoff squad. Townsend is an unrestricted free agent. There\u2019s mutual interest between the Texans and Townsend about a potential contract extension, but it will come down to a prospective negotiation between general manager Nick Caserio and agent Drew Rosenhaus. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI would absolutely love to stay,\u201d Townsend told KPRC 2. \u201cI think it\u2019s pretty obvious. I\u2019ve made it pretty obvious that I like it here. I want to be here for a while, so we\u2019ll see how everything works out. I\u2019ve got a good relationship with Nick, so there\u2019s going to be a lot of communication, and I\u2019m excited to see how it all plays out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The last time Townsend and the Texans did business, it resulted in a two-year, $6 million contract in free agency that is expiring.<\/p>\n
Caserio and Rosenhaus have conducted a lot of business over the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of business together, a good relationship,\u201d Townsend said. \u201cI\u2019m excited to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Townsend was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week last season.<\/p>\n
Townsend averaged 50.4 yards per punt with a 47.8 net average on five punts in a playoff-clinching victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.<\/p>\n
He had four punts downed inside the 20-yard line and had a long boot of 56 yards. That included a punt downed inside the 2-yard line.<\/p>\n
And kicker Ka\u2019imi Fairbairn, with rookie long snapper Austin Brinkman snapping and Townsend holding, tied an NFL all-time single-season record for field goals made.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt starts with a snap,\u201d Townsend said. \u201cBrinkman was an incredible addition. He had an amazing year, especially on punts. He served me balls on a silver platter all year. He did an incredible job, setting me up to try and perform.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Texans\u2019 season ended in the AFC divisional round with a loss to the New England Patriots.<\/p>\n
In the playoffs, Townsend averaged a career-high 52.4 yards with a 35.0 net average. He downed two punts inside opponents\u2019 20-yard line.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely tough going out this way in the divisional round,\u201d Townsend said. \u201cWe definitely all had higher hopes for this season. There\u2019s a lot of positives, some negatives, and yeah, definitely a lot of things that we\u2019ve got to focus on this offseason to keep improving.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of things I\u2019ve got to do better. My game plan was to hit the ball out of bounds, and I wasn\u2019t able to hit the ball out of bounds. So, I don\u2019t really think I did my job to the best of my ability, so there\u2019s things that I\u2019ve got to improve on.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Since joining the Texans in 2024, he has 69 punts downed inside the 20-yard line for the most in the NFL during that span. Four times he has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.<\/p>\n
He became the first Houston punter to win the award since Shane Lechler in 2016.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get really fired up,\u201d Townsend said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I do it. I love going out and trying to make plays and put my guys in good position to make plays and that just fires me up.\u201d<\/p>\n