Bengals anticipate big workload for rookie punter Drue Chrisman this summer

Cincinnati Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons has been full of interesting little nuggets this week coming out of practices.

Take, for example, his comment about who’s leading the charge in the battle to return punts.

Or perhaps even more interesting is Simmons revealing that rookie punter Drue Chrisman could get more work than expected this summer.

Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com explained why:

“Not just because he thinks he’s got a big leg and has talent, but he also felt a big reason Kevin Huber had a career year in his 12th season last year is because he didn’t have spring practices or preseason games to get his leg tired. So Simmons is going to dial him back again.”

Call it a situation that could greatly benefit both parties. For the Bengals, it’s potentially a way to keep Kevin Huber fresh and playing just like he did last year.

And for the rookie, it’s a chance to put a lot of stuff on film for other teams to see. Maybe he doesn’t leave the Bengals after roster cutdowns, but building up the resume could help him land as a starter somewhere in the future.

While the punter situation is far from the most important thing to watch at training camp, this is a fun little wrinkle with long-term ramifications to keep in mind.