Jaguars head coach Liam Coen confirmed Friday that Washington will be the team's primary punt returner to start the season, Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union reports.
Coen also mentioned wanting to give Travis Hunter a chance in the return game, but it sounds like that's more of a project than a right-now possibility. In the meantime, Washington's ample experience on punt returns makes him the clear best choice for a role that's extremely important on a per-snap basis. It's only a few snaps per game, of course, but they are high-risk plays for injuries, and the fantasy payoff in most leagues is unlikely to be more than a six-point splash once per season. The good news for Washington's fantasy managers is that there's plenty of recent history of full-time starting wideouts also handling punt returns, including Antonio Brown and Tyreek Hill. While obviously in a different category athletically, Washington offers considerable breakout appeal after his huge finish to last season.