JK Scott gets $4 million deal in NFL free agency

JK Scott gets $4 million deal in NFL free agency

After two days as an unrestricted free agent, JK Scott is back where he started, with the Los Angeles Chargers announcing on Friday afternoon that the former Alabama punter would re-sign with the NFL team.

In his first season with the Chargers, Scott averaged 43.6 yards on 73 punts with a 41.1-yard net average. Only 19 of Scott’s punts were returned in 2022, and Los Angeles yielded the fewest punt-return yards in the NFL with 58.

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Scott won the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award for his performance in the Chargers’ 25-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 27.

Scott is returning to the Chargers for a two-year, $4 million contract, ESPN reported.

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The season marked a comeback for Scott after he played in only one game in the 2021 campaign.

Scott entered the NFL as a fifth-round selection of the Green Bay Packers in the 2018 draft after establishing Alabama career records for punts, punting yards and punting average.

In three seasons with the Packers, Scott averaged 44.6 yards on 194 punts.

On the day that NFL teams had to reduce their preseason rosters to the regular-season limit for 2021, Green Bay obtained punter Corey Bojorquez in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams and waived Scott, even though he had a year left on his contract.

Bojorquez had led the NFL in punting with a 50.8-yard average for the Buffalo Bills in 2020, then signed with the Rams as a free agent. But Los Angeles decided to continue with four-time first-team All-Pro Johnny Hekker as its punter for a 10th season, making Bojorquez available.

Scott was out of football until signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 31, 2021.

With regular punter Logan Cooke sidelined by a knee injury, the Jaguars picked up Scott with two weeks left in the 2021 season. Scott averaged 39.8 yards on four punts with no return yards in a 50-10 loss to the New England Patriots on Jan. 2. But he missed the regular-season finale after being placed on reserve/COVID-19.

Scott signed a one-year, $965,000 contract with the Chargers on March 21, 2022.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.