Jalen Reagor Opens Patriots-Bills Game With Kick-Return Touchdown

For the second consecutive season, a Patriots-Bills game in Buffalo opened with a kick-return touchdown.

This time, New England did the honors.

Patriots wide receiver Jalen Reagor on Sunday returned Tyler Bass’ opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, stunning the home crowd at Highmark Stadium.

Reagor, who took over kick-return duties from running back-wide receiver hybrid Ty Montgomery in early December, broke tackles at his own 30- and 35-yard lines and then outran Bass to the end zone.

Gone, gone, gone ‼️@jalenreagor | #ForeverNE

📺: #NEvsBUF on CBS pic.twitter.com/PjWjWa4LA0

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 31, 2023

It was New England’s first kick-return touchdown since October 2018 and its second special teams touchdown in the last two weeks. Safety Cody Davis scored off a fumbled Broncos kickoff during the Patriots’ Christmas Eve win at Denver’s Empower Field.

For Reagor, it was his first touchdown of any sort since October 2022, when he was playing for the Minnesota Vikings. The 2020 first-round draft pick joined the Patriots’ practice squad before the season and was promoted to the 53-man roster Oct. 26.

The Patriots’ Week 18 visit to Buffalo last season started identically, with Bills running back Nyheim Hines returning the opening kickoff 98 yards for six. Hines later scored a second kick-return TD as the Bills won 35-23.