Lions make Jack Fox the highest-paid punter in the NFL

Jack Fox has quickly established himself as one of the best punters in the NFL, and the Detroit Lions will now pay him like one.

While the Detroit Lions placekicker situation has been a mess over the last couple seasons, Jack Fox has become one of the best punters in the NFL. According to multiple reports on Saturday morning, he has agreed to a three-year contract extension.

The new deal will average $3.775 million per year, making Fox the NFL’s highest-paid punter, with $7.5 million guaranteed. He was slated to be a restricted free agent again next year, and the Lions announced it as a deal going through 2026.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported the deal at four years and $13.965 million.

Michael Dickson signed a four-year, $14.7 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks last spring, at an average value of $3.675 million. Including the RFA value next year, Fox will exceed that at $3.775 million over the first three years of his new deal.

No matter how the numbers and years are sliced, Fox is now going to be paid like he’s one of the NFL’s best punters.

Fox is now one of five punters in the league set to earn over $3 million a year. No less an authority than Bill Belichick called him the best punter in the league heading into Week 5’s Lions-Patriots game.

"Fox is the best punter in the league. He’s outstanding,” Belichick said. “Fox is a weapon. Kickoff, punt, punt for accuracy, punt for distance. Threw it like a quarterback back there — that was a long throw, 15 yards deep, good coverage, he put it right in there.”"

Paying Jack Fox was a no-brainer for the Lions

Fox earned a Pro Bowl in his first year with the Lions in 2020, as he also set franchise records with an average of 49.1 yards per punt and a net average of 44.8 yards. Last year he posted a 49.2-yard average and a 42.3-yard net.

So far this year Fox is top-10 in the league in yards per punt (48.8, ninth) and net average (43.5, eighth). Five of his 16 punts have been downed inside the 5-yard line, with no touchbacks.

Fox is also 3-for-4 as a passer with a 110.4 rating in his career.

Fox has been quite a find for the Lions. He originally signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and landed on Detroit’s practice squad in December of that year.