Dortch

09/04/2026

ORCHARD PARK — Greg Dortch played baseball growing up. But that's not how he learned to track punts.

His father would throw the ball high in the air for a young Dortch to catch. Over and over. Pretty simple, right?Well, that's not the biggest reason Dortch became a quality NFL punt returner. No, he believes the reason is confidence and fearlessness. And that's something that wasn't sold separately.

It takes guts to field punts, knowing eyes have to somehow track the ball falling from the sky while being aware of opposing players sprinting downfield looking for a big hit. According to Pro Football Focus, the average NFL hangtime is 4.5 seconds, which means a punt returner has to track the ball, decide whether to catch it and whether to return it in that window.

"Looking up at the sky while the other guys are running full speed at you — just the guts that it takes, that confidence that it takes to do that job," Dortch told GNN Sports after practice Wednesday. "It's not for everybody."

Dortch, who was born in Rochester and moved to Virginia as a child, knows almost as soon as he catches a punt whether he's going to have a crease. It takes peripheral vision to be a punt returner and Dortch says he usually has time or "two peeks" before taking his first step after catching the ball"It's really freaky," Dortch said. "I have like a photographic memory and know where everybody is. It's really freaky. It's a gift. It's not something everybody has."

The Bills signed Dortch to the practice squad Monday in hopes he could be a solution to their punt return holes.

Buffalo has struggled to find an adequate punt returner since losing faith in the decision-making of former all-rookie return specialist Brandon Codrington early last season. The Bills signed Mecole Hardman Jr. midseason, but a pulled hamstring on his first attempt ended that plan.

Khalil Shakir led the team with 16 returns, but his main job was to make smart decisionsThe Bills forced 68 punts last season and only returned 30 of them, Shakir being responsible for nine of the team's 14 fair catches. Buffalo ranked 30th in the NFL at 6.5 yards per return, with Shakir's 7.8 yards per return ranking well below the league's 10.2 average.

So the Bills have tried Dee Alford, Keon Coleman, Ray Davis and Hardman with seriousness during the preseason. It seemed to be Davis' job to lose, but he may have lost it after a m**fed punt against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason finale.

With Hardman's release, the job will likely fall to Alford, Dortch or Shakir, the latter of whom is dealing with an injury and head coach Joe Brady has stated he prefers not to use there. But the question remains, how necessary is a dynamic returner?

The easy statistic to reference in support of a strong returner is field position. The Bills ranked 26th in the league, with average drive starts at their own 29.7-yard line.In 2024, the Bills led the league in average drive start, while Codrington ranked fourth with 11.4 yards per punt return. But a closer look makes the argument murky.

The difference in leading the league in drive starts and ranking 26th? Fewer than four yards. The Bills gave up fewer yards per drive last season than in 2024, but they forced 12 fewer turnovers. Buffalo also forced 11 turnovers in opponents' territory in 2024, compared to seven a year ago.

Still, punt returns are an important part of field position. The Bills offense averaged more yards per drive, punted fewer times and had a better net average when they did, gave up fewer points and had a better kick return average than in 2024, but still had worse field position.

And if Dortch is eventually Buffalo's long-term answer — he must be signed to the active roster to play more than three games — don't bank on many fair catches.Since Dortch became Arizona's primary punt returner in 2022, Dortch's 92 returns rank second in the NFL and he averaged 9.1 yards per return. But of the players in the top 10, Dortch has 10 fewer fair catches (21) than anyone else and only has one career m**f.

"If I catch the ball, I'm going to force you to tackle me," Dortch said. "I don't want you to have to let up or just think that I'm going to Faitlr catch it. If I can get 15 yards for Josh (Allen) to set us up, that's huge. Anytime I can steal yards, I try to."

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08/04/2026

Thus far in camp, Dortch has appeared more than capable with handling punt-return duties while also meshing well with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's scheme.

If he continues his strong play into the regular season, he has a great shot to become a valuable offensive and special teams performer during the 2026 campaign.WR Greg Dortch

Dortch, who is coming off a 29-reception, 206-yard campaign with the Arizona Cardinals, has consistently produced since entering the professional ranks in 2019.

He’s recorded a minimum of 200 receiving yards in each of the past four seasons while demonstrating next-level run-after-catch ability. Last season alone, he averaged 6.9 yards after the catch, tying Jameson Williams for the seventh-best mark in the NFL.

08/04/2026

Veteran wide receiver Greg Dortch knows Drew Petzing's offense and play-calling style better than most, having played the last three seasons in Arizona with Petzing as his OC.

"Having (Petzing) here makes things comfortable for me," Dortch said after Tuesday's practice. "I'm able to play faster."

That's been evident early in camp as Dortch has made several plays both on offense and special teams and looks to have a firm early grasp on the No. 4 receiver role behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa.

"Anytime I can come out here and just help the team, however that is, whether it's punt return, kick return or jumping in the slot, outside, whatever I can do, man, to help the team win, that's what I want to do," Dortch said. "It's been fun, man."

The Lions are looking for a Kalif Raymond replacement on offense and special teams, and Dortch has looked like a great fit so far in camp. He's lightning quick off the line of scrimmage and in space with good speed and has caught the eye of head coach Dan Campbell, particularly in the return game.

"Just watching his movement skills and the drill work as a returner, and even some of the little things as a receiver, it's even better than I thought," Campbell said. "There's things about him. I mean, you watch him maneuver through some of these drills and it looks pretty good.

"So, that's pretty exciting. I like Dortch. Man, he's working. He wants to be one of the guys and adapt to what we do and how we do it. And I think every day he gets a little bit better and learns how we go through and do what we do."

Dortch caught 80 passes for nearly 900 yards and eight touchdowns the last three years in Petzing's offense. He's the favorite to win the punt return job and potentially kick return as well. His familiarity with Petzing and his offense has allowed him to hit the ground running in camp.

"(Petzing) is a really smart guy," Dortch said. "He knows how to get guys open and I'm sure he'll be able to do that this year."

06/02/2026

Allen Park — Reuniting with a familiar face in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing did indeed play a factor in wide receiver Greg Dortch's decision to sign with the Detroit Lions this offseason.

But that's only half the story. The other part is that he was sick of losing. Over five seasons in Arizona, the Cardinals finished with a winning record just once, his first season in 2021. In the four seasons that followed, Dortch's Cardinals teams went 19-49 combined.

Despite the disappointment of last year's 9-8 finish for the Lions, it's well known that this team is capable of plenty more, even though it marked the fourth straight winning season for a franchise that hadn't done so in more than half a century. The standard is now different here. Dortch loves it.

"The Lions are a good f---ing team. … I played them two years ago, they came to Arizona, whooped our ass," Dortch said, referring to a 20-13 Lions win in Sept. 2024. The Lions that season finished 15-2, nearly totaling the amount of wins Dortch's teams tallied from 2022-25. The coaching staff has the most NFL players on a coaching staff that I've ever been a part of. You can just tell right away that they take care of their players, they know what the f--- they're talking about, and they're serious."Many have tabbed Dortch, 28, as the one-for-one replacement for wide receiver Kalif Raymond, a journeyman who eventually found a home in Detroit in 2021 and spent five seasons as a cultural leader while also making plenty of impact on the field, both as a returner and a depth receiver. Raymond signed a one-year deal to join the Chicago Bears and reunite with his old offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, this offseason. Dortch, likewise, was a journeyman — and even contemplated a transition to the Canadian Football League in 2021 — before sticking with the Cardinals, with whom he also spent five seasons, making an impact as both a returner and depth receiver. Dortch signed a one-year deal to join the Lions and reunite with his old offensive coordinator, Petzing, this offseason.

Both are shorter in stature than the average NFL player (Dortch is 5-foot-7; Raymond is 5-8) and have speed to burn. The similarities between their games and stories are undeniable.
But, as Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown pointed out, there's only one Raymond — just like there's only one Dortch.

"Two different people," St. Brown said when asked to compare how the newbie stacked up with Raymond. "I love Kalif. I'll never compare anyone to him. To me, he means so much to me. Like I say, one of the best teammates I've ever had, the best people. On the field, does anything for teammates, and he's a darn-good football player, too, so I think we're all gonna miss Leaf here."
That is in no way a put down to his new teammate, whom St. Brown said he has long admired.

"I watched Dortch from afar when he was in Arizona, and I love his game. I love the way he plays," St. Brown said. "He's crafty, he has good moves, he understands the game, and he competes. At the end of the day, you just gotta compete. You play for us, that's the biggest thing. … And I think Dortch has that about him."

He doesn't just have that about him — it's the whole reason he's here in the first place. Dortch has played 68 career games and missed his only opportunity to play in the postseason after being placed on injured reserve late in the 2021 season. A ferocious competitor, he wanted to surround himself with people who hold the same mentality.

"I'm excited about that, just to be part of something that's serious and they take pride in winning. Like, losing is not acceptable here, and I haven't really felt that," Dortch said. When I was in AZ, we won four games two years in a row. It's just been tough."

St. Brown isn't the only one who has respected Dortch's game from across the country. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, who will likely have a big role for Dortch this upcoming season, said he's liked Dortch since a receiver was at Wake Forest. Fipp was the special teams coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles when Dortch went undrafted and was signed by the New York Jets.

"He was a down-the-line guy (on the draft board), and I remember thinking, 'I think this guy's got something to him,'" Fipp said

Dortch has since returned 99 punts (8.9-yard average return) and 75 kickoffs (23.6-yard average return). Last season, he set a career high in punt return average (11.6 yards) on 16 returns and tied a career high in kickoff return average (26.2 yards) on 31 attempts.

"I would say (Dortch is) probably similar to Kalif, right? Kalif did it for us … similar body types. In my opinion, you want a guy who's durable, who is going to be able to take some hits," Fipp said. "Dortch has definitely done it and has been productive and had some production similar to what Kalif has done. Assuming Dortch slides in nicely as a receiver and returner, the only role he'll be left to fill of Raymond's is in the locker room. Some might have worked as hard as Raymond; you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who worked harder, though. He carried a chip on his shoulder, developed over many years of being told he wasn't good enough.

Of course, that's part of Dortch's story, too. After entering the league in 2019, he was cut by four teams in two years, leading to his reluctant flirtation with the CFL. The Cardinals called him in for a workout just in time, and he made the most of his opportunity. But despite being settled in his NFL career, Dortch's hunger remains. His chip is still swelling, further inflamed by recent family developments. He got engaged in March and has a baby due in October.

"I don't know what to expect. First-time dad. But obviously, now, I got like a true purpose," Dortch said. "I have a reason. Obviously, I love football. I love playing. But when you have a kid, a child, it changes everything.". Last Friday, following an unpadded practice in Allen Park, Dortch was one of the last players off the field after getting some extra work on the JUGS machine, an automatic pass-throwing apparatus that St. Brown and Raymond have worn out over the years.

This is part of the normal post-practice routine for Dortch and many other receivers around the league. But here, it's become symbolic for the way that the Lions' cultural leaders during the Dan Campbell era have pushed their teammates to be better. St. Brown catches 202 passes off the machine after every practice, a habit he's had since before high school. When Raymond got to Detroit, he adopted the routine. "I was never catching 200 (passes on the) JUGS (machine), and then that knucklehead (St. Brown) is catching 200 JUGS, so I was like, ‘Shoot, if he’s that, then I need to be catching 200 JUGS,'" Raymond quipped to The Detroit News last season.

Dorch is now carrying on the tradition, one of the first steps toward establishing himself as a positive veteran presence. When the Lions break for the summer after mandatory minicamp later this month, Dortch figures he'll take a week off to spend time with his fiance ́ before getting right back to the work, splitting his time training between Chicago and Arizona.

He's enjoying the cool Michigan weather (for now), a stark contrast from the blistering Arizona temps he's used to practicing and training in.

He likely won't feel that way in December, but if the Lions are performing the way Dortch expects, we can't imagine he'll care. Winning is the only thing that matters to him.