CINCINNATI – When the star quarterback and wide receiver are shattering franchise records, wearing Triple Crowns and entering the conversations for MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, it can be hard to get noticed.
But Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are not the only players who set franchise records for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024.
Rookie punter Ryan Rehkow set three franchise records this season, the first of which came on just his second attempt as a professional.
After booting a 57-yarder on his first attempt in the season opener against the New England Patriots, Rehkow launched an 80-yarder that sailed 5 yards past the previous record shared by Kevin Huber and Kyle Larson.
When the season ended, Rehkow ranked 10 in gross punting average (49.1) and sixth in net punting average (43.3).
Both of those numbers are franchise records.
Drue Chrisman set the gross punting record of 47.8 in 2022, and Huber set the previous net record of 42.8 in 2020.
Another area where Rehkow excelled was putting the ball inside the 20-yard line.
His 25 punts inside the 20 only rank 11th in franchise history, but he had far fewer attempts due to how rarely the team needed to punt with Burrow, Chase and Co. racking up yards and points.
Rehkow only punted 53 times. Of the 10 performances ahead of him, Lee Johnson had the next fewest punts with 68.
With 25 of 53 punts landing inside the 20, Rehkow had a success rate of 47.1 percent.
That, too, is a franchise record, topping Huber’s 43.4 percent in 2012 when he set the Bengals record with 33 punts inside the 20 on 76 attempts.
Rehkow is an exclusive rights free agent who is certain to be back with the Bengals in 2025.
