The source for Rice sports news

Detroit Lions sign punter Jack Fox to futures contract

By

Following the end of the regular season, former Rice football punter Jack Fox has signed a futures contract with the NFL’s Detroit Lions

Former Rice football punter Jack Fox has been swept up into the churn of NFL life. After going undrafted, Fox signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs and was cut prior to the regular season. He was on and off the Chiefs’ practice squad during the season, eventually being signed to the practice squad by the Detroit Lions.

It looks like Fox will be in Detroit for at least a little while longer. At the end of the regular season, Fox agreed to a futures contract with the Lions.

What is a futures contract?

NFL teams don’t practice between the end of the season and training camp, thus eliminating the need for practice squad players. Even though they weren’t on the official roster, teams still want to make sure they can keep many of those players in the fold for the upcoming season when the rosters expand from 55 players to 90. And thus futures contracts were born.

Essentially a futures contract is a low-cost commitment between the player and the team to keep a player from signing elsewhere during the offseason. Futures contracts take effect at the start of the new league year (Mar. 18, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. ET).

What’s next for Fox?

It’s unlikely Detroit would have brought Fox in if they didn’t intend to give him a shot to compete for a spot on the active roster next season. The Lions’ current punter Sam Martin is eligible for free agency, leaving a potential opening at the position. Detroit also signed free agent Matt Wile who appeared briefly for the Falcons this season and was the full-time punter for the Vikings in 2018, averaging 45.2 yards per punt.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Former Rice Football punter Jack Fox released by Chiefs

By

Per Dani Welniak, Former Rice Football Jack Fox has been released by the Kansas City Chiefs. What’s next for Fox in his NFL journey?

The NFL is a tough business, particularly for specialists. While wide receivers and offensive lineman view for more than 100 starting jobs and dozens of other backup roles, there are only so many special teams positions open at any one time.

Jack Fox finds himself in the midst of that unfortunate roster crunch. Competing with NFL vet Dustin Colquitt in Kansas City, Fox held his own, matching the long-time pros leg throughout the preseason. When it came time for the Chiefs to make a decision, they opted for the guy that’s been around for a decade.

More: Owls fall short of upset, drop heartbreaker to Army

That puts Fox in an uncomfortable state of limbo, for now. After his release from the Chiefs, Fox was put on waivers. Teams will have until Sunday at 12:00 p.m. ET to claim Fox and other players off waivers before teams will begin to construct their practice squads.

As he demonstrated during the preseason, the talent is there for Fox to take another run at a full-time gig. Here are a few things to keep a look on over the weekend.

1. Teams need punters

Kansas City was forced to make a decision between two good punts. Not every NFL squad is that fortunate, and that bodes well for Fox. Teams like the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers had particularly suspect punting games. It’s well within the realm of possibility that Fox is signed to a team like that and given another chance to win a starting job as early as this season.

2. The Chiefs aren’t off limits

It’s also possible that Kansas City liked what they saw in their rookie punter. The extended audition through the preseason might not have been enough for him to win the job outright, but the Chiefs may be open to keeping a close eye on Fox to see how he develops throughout the season. Another team could claim him from the practice squad or he could get another shot at battling Colquitt in the future.

3. Injuries and performance issues

There’s no circumstance where anyone would root for a player to be hurt, but the NFL is a dangerous business. The same 32 punters who begin the year might not make it through the season healthy, opening the door for others like Fox. Beyond that, those who remain healthy might not perform to expectations.

Similar possibilities exist for Fox’s former teammate, Austin Walter, who was released by the 49ers this weekend.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football: Jack Fox shines in NFL debut

By

Week 1 of the NFL Preseason is in the books and former Rice Football punter Jack Fox is among the league leaders at the punter position.

There have been 170 punts thus far in the NFL Preseason. Jack Fox kicked just two of those in his professional debut on Saturday. His first outing was superb by all measures, but perhaps even more importantly, Fox has propelled himself into the ranks of the league’s best punters.

Among the 47 punters who have kicked so far, Fox ranks fifth in Net Punting Average. He’s tied for second in return yardage allowed (zero). All of his punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line, making him one of five punters to accomplish that feat.

Win gear from The Roost
Enter Now | Win Free Gear from The Roost

Dustin Colquitt, the Chiefs’ incumbent punter, had a great game. Both players had two opportunities, but it was the rookie who outperformed the vet. Fox punted for 93 yards to Colquitt’s 79. Fox put one more punt inside the 20-yard line and had one fewer punt returned.

Fox more than held his own through the first preseason game. He’ll have three more chances to prove himself before the Chiefs are forced to make a challenging decision.

The financials (per Spotrac) are another point in Fox’s favor. An undrafted free agent, Fox will count $3,333 against Kansas City’s cap this season. Colquitt, who recently signed a lucrative extension, brings with him a $3.15 Million cap hit. With the contracts of superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Tyreke Hill looming, the Chiefs likely wouldn’t be opposed to saving money wherever they can.

The Chiefs play their next game on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 17. Fox and Colquitt are expected to split the punting duties once again.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Jack Fox vs Dustin Colquitt: Evaluating the Kansas City Chiefs punters

By

Undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jack Fox signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. He’ll battle veteran Dustin Colquitt for the punting job.

Jack Fox made waves with his impressive senior season at Rice. Now he’s on to the NFL where he’ll attempt to earn himself a spot on the roster of the Kansas City Chiefs. The limited roster room leads few NFL teams to carry multiple punters. If Fox is going to stay on with the Chiefs, he’ll most likely have to beat out veteran punter Dustin Colquitt.

Colquitt has 15 years of NFL experience, all with the Chiefs, and recently signed a 3-year, $7.5 Million extension in 2018. He’s due $4.5 Million over the next two seasons; Fox signed a 3-year deal which will pay him $1.765 Million over the next three seasons. From a purely financial perspective, Fox has a much more affordable deal.

More: The incredible story of Jack Fox

Fox has a good financial case, but that’s only going to come into play if he can produce on the field in camp. The Chiefs will get a look at both guys in person, for now, we’ll have to settle with a snapshot of how each player faired last season — Colquitt with Kansas City and Fox with Rice.

2018 Stats

Player Colquitt Fox
Games 16 13
Punts 45 80
Yards 2,021 3,636
Avg 44.9 45.5
Long 67 76
TB 5 13
In20 21 31
Net 40.5 40.1

The Kansas City offense was so effective last year Colquitt posted a career-low 45 punts. The Rice offense was not as efficient, providing Fox plenty of opportunities. Fox led the nation in punting yardage and matched up favorably with Colquitt across the board in most major statistics.

On paper, Fox absolutely has a chance to make the team. The Chiefs gave him guaranteed money, which indicates they think he’s got a good shot to stick around. If he doesn’t make the roster, he’ll be a practice squad player and have more opportunities to kick in the NFL down the road.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Jack Fox agrees to free agent deal with Chiefs

By

After being passed over in the 2019 NFL Draft, former Rice Football punter Jack Fox has signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Fox had his tv turned on when the draft began on Thursday and stayed tuned in throughout the coverage into the weekend. He’s always been a football fanatic. He would have been following the draft regardless of which directions his career path led him. This year was different.

This year he’s met some of the guys who heard their names called, guys like 49ers fourth-round pick former Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky. Like Wishnowsky, the players chosen by NFL teams are no larger than life characters for Fox, they’re friends and colleagues. After a strenuous pre-draft process, Fox’s childhood dream of playing in the NFL is starting to get closer and closer to becoming reality.

More: The incredible story of Jack Fox

When Saturday rolled around, Fox’s heart undoubtedly began to beat a little bit faster. Home with his family and close friends, Fox waited for the call.

Fox would have to wait until the final player was drafted before he learned where he would be playing his professional football. The focal point of several post-draft suitors, Fox was able to find the best spot for him. After weighing his options, Fox signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

A half dozen NFL teams sent personnel to Houston for private workouts with Fox before the draft. The Cheifs were not among that group, but present an opportunity for Fox who is ready for the challenge.

“I’m pretty tired of the anticipation and ready to get to work,” admitted Jack Fox in the days leading up to the NFL Draft. Now, after weeks of workouts, interviews and meetings it’s finally time for Fox to get back to what he knows best: football.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts