Detroit Lions May Use Reggie Bush in Return Game
By Josh Hill
Reggie Bush has been all over the place in his career in more than one way. He went from a star running back at USC, to a return nightmare with the Saints, to a fallen star at USC, to a fallen star with the Saints and so on. It’s safer than safe to say that Bush has had plenty of ups-and-downs in his career up to this point, but his latest venture brings him to the Motor City where he’s hoping he can continue to get it right and finally be the game changing back he was supposed to be.
One thing Bush can always lean on is his return skills, and while the Dolphins shied away from using him in that role, the Detroit Lions aren’t going to be so skittish. When asked how Bush will be used, it was suggested that he could be used in the return game bringing back both kickoffs and punts for the Lions. head coach Jim Schwartz didn’t come out and say that’s the plan but he was also uncharacteristically vague about it as well.
“Yeah,” Schwartz said when asked about the possibility of using Bush as a punt or kick returner. “I’m not a man of few words, but yes (that’s possible).”
The Lions stunk it up on both sides of special teams last year, not returning kicks like they should and getting burned far too often. Bush has always been dangerous in the return game, even if it took him a while to get his footing as a running back in the NFL. The Lions seem to be getting a Stage III Reggie Bush in that with the Saints, Bush was a dangerous return man and with the Dolphins, Bush was a dangerous running back.
Detroit now gets Bush at a time in his career when he’s seemingly figured out both and they’ll be damned if they’re not going to exploit him for all the talent he’s worth.