Bengals Punter Ryan Rehkow Off to 1 of 2 Best Starts to a Career in NFL History

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals punter Ryan Rehkow is at it again.

Through two weeks, Rehkow is just three-tenths of a yard shy of the league lead in gross punting average.

Rehkow has boomed nine punts for a 53.6-yard average.

Green Bay’s Daniel Whelan is averaging 53.9 yards per punt.

Last year as rookie, Rehkow entered the top tier with a 49.1-yard average that was good for 10th best in the league.

With a 49.8-yard average since the start of 2024, Rehkow ranks sixth.

But through a much wider lens of history all the way back to the 1970 merger, his performance has been even more impressive.

Rehkow is one of only four punters to average at least 49 yards per attempt through the first 19 games of a career.

The Titans’ Ryan Stonehouse averaged 53.0 yards per punt through his first 19 games from 2022-23.

Rehkow is next on the list with his 49.8 average.

And the Rams’ Ethan Evans and Buccaneers Jake Camarda are tied for third at 49.4.

One area where Rehkow has dipped is with his touch.

He already has two touchbacks this season on nine punts.

Rehkow only had five touchbacks on 53 punts last season, when his 43.3 net average ranked sixth in the league.

This year Rehkow has a 42.4-yard net average, which ranks 15th.

His two touchbacks have been offset somewhat by three punts of 60-plus yards, which is tied for the most in the league with the Eagles’ Braden Mann, the Cardinals’ Blake Gilliken and the Buccaneers Riley Dixon.

Rehkow has 12 punts of 60-plus yards since the beginning of last year, which is sixth most.