Could Minkah Fitzpatrick return punts? Nick Saban won’t rule it out
By Adam Spencer
Published:
When you’re 8-0 and the No. 1 team in the country, it’s tough to find too much to complain about, but that doesn’t mean Alabama is a perfect team.
One legitimate concern, though, is the lack of a reliable punt returner. The Crimson Tide have botched more than their fair share of punt returns this year.
Now, coach Nick Saban is considering a surprising option. On Tuesday, he said he’d consider having star DB Minkah Fitzpatrick return some punts:
Saban asked if Minkah Fitzpatrick can field punts: "Not something that he's done … but I think he's very capable of doing it."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) October 24, 2017
The only problem with that strategy is that Fitzpatrick is incredibly valuable to the Alabama defense, so if he got hurt on a punt return, it would be devastating to the Crimson Tide.
However, if the Crimson Tide are in a situation down the stretch where they need someone reliable to field a punt, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Fitzpatrick get the call.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
