rookie kick return leaders in the nfl 2021

Khalil Herbert had the most kickoff returns by a rookie in 2021, with 27 returns.

NAMEKRSEASONTMGPKR YDSKR AVGKR YDS/GKR TDPRPR YDSPR AVGPR YDS/GPR TD
1Khalil Herbert
K. Herbert
27
2021
17
650
24.1
38.2
0
0
0
0.0
0
2Avery Williams
A. Williams
23
2021
15
490
21.3
32.7
0
20
153
7.7
10.2
0
3Kene Nwangwu
K. Nwangwu
18
2021
11
579
32.2
52.6
2
0
0
0.0
0
4Jaelon Darden
J. Darden
18
2021
9
359
19.9
39.9
0
19
142
7.5
15.8
0
5Anthony Schwartz
A. Schwartz
15
2021
14
322
21.5
23.0
0
0
0
0.0
0
6Rondale Moore
R. Moore
13
2021
14
291
22.4
20.8
0
21
171
8.1
12.2
0
7Amari Rodgers
A. Rodgers
11
2021
16
199
18.1
12.4
0
20
166
8.3
10.4
0
8Kylin Hill
K. Hill
10
2021
8
199
19.9
24.9
0
0
0
0.0
0
9Jaylen Waddle
J. Waddle
9
2021
16
158
17.6
9.9
0
5
35
7.0
2.2
0
10Demetric Felton
D. Felton
9
2021
16
172
19.1
10.8
0
32
227
7.1
14.2
0
11Kenneth Gainwell
K. Gainwell
8
2021
16
137
17.1
8.6
0
0
0
0.0
0
12Eno Benjamin
E. Benjamin
7
2021
9
162
23.1
18.0
0
0
0
0.0
0
13Larry Rountree
L. Rountree
7
2021
12
117
16.7
9.8
0
0
0
0.0
0
14Marquez Stevenson
M. Stevenson
7
2021
5
165
23.6
33.0
0
14
167
11.9
33.4
0
15J.J. Koski
J.J. Koski
5
2021
5
89
17.8
17.8
0
2
20
10.0
4.0
0
16Tutu Atwell
T. Atwell
5
2021
8
87
17.4
10.9
0
10
54
5.4
6.8
0
17Ben Skowronek
B. Skowronek
4
2021
14
70
17.5
5.0
0
0
0
0.0
0
18Jake Funk
J. Funk
4
2021
10
88
22.0
8.8
0
0
0
0.0
0
19Ihmir Smith-Marsette
I. Smith-Marsette
4
2021
8
83
20.8
10.4
0
0
0
0.0
0
20Ambry Thomas
A. Thomas
4
2021
12
70
17.5
5.8
0
0
0
0.0
0
21Michael Bandy
M. Bandy
4
2021
1
88
22.0
88.0
0
0
0
0.0
0
22Pooka Williams
P. Williams
3
2021
1
52
17.3
52.0
0
0
0
0.0
0
23Dee Eskridge
D. Eskridge
2
2021
10
54
27.0
5.4
0
0
0
0.0
0
24Chris Evans
C. Evans
2
2021
14
58
29.0
4.1
0
0
0
0.0
0
25Tylan Wallace
T. Wallace
2
2021
17
39
19.5
2.3
0
0
0
0.0
0
StatMuse has season-level data for kickoff returns going back to the 1941 season.

More Bears Stats

Team Leaders

PASS

3,942

Williams

Caleb Williams

RUSH

1,087

Swift

D'Andre Swift

REC

713

Loveland

Colston Loveland
Team Rankings

PPG

25.9

9th

OPP PPG

24.4

23rd

RUSH YDS/G

144.5

3rd

PASS YDS/G

234.8

12th

2025 Division Standings
TEAMWLTPCT
Bears Bears
11
6
0
.647
9
7
1
.559
9
8
0
.529
9
8
0
.529
Last Game
LAR Rams

2 - 0

20

Final

17

CHI Bears

1 - 1

Sun 18 Jan 2026

NFL 2025 Leaders

NFL 2025 Rankings

NFL Fantasy 2025

NFL 2025 Betting

NFL 2025 Standings

AFC EastWLTPCT
14
3
0
.824
Bills Bills - w
12
5
0
.706
7
10
0
.412
Jets Jets - e
3
14
0
.176
AFC NorthWLTPCT
10
7
0
.588
8
9
0
.471
6
11
0
.353
5
12
0
.294
AFC SouthWLTPCT
13
4
0
.765
12
5
0
.706
Colts Colts - e
8
9
0
.471
3
14
0
.176
AFC WestWLTPCT
14
3
0
.824
11
6
0
.647
6
11
0
.353
3
14
0
.176
NFC EastWLTPCT
11
6
0
.647
7
9
1
.441
5
12
0
.294
4
13
0
.235
NFC NorthWLTPCT
Bears Bears - y
11
6
0
.647
9
7
1
.559
9
8
0
.529
Lions Lions - e
9
8
0
.529
NFC SouthWLTPCT
8
9
0
.471
8
9
0
.471
8
9
0
.471
6
11
0
.353
NFC WestWLTPCT
14
3
0
.824
Rams Rams - w
12
5
0
.706
49ers 49ers - w
12
5
0
.706
3
14
0
.176