THE APEX TIMES
Laube’s 95-yard kickoff return touchdown and special-teams impact earned him AFC recognition for the week, continuing a hot run for the rookie in kickoff coverage and returns.
Dylan Laube has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the Raiders announced Monday.
In the team’s game against the New York Jets, Laube produced a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the first kickoff return TD scored in the NFL this season, according to the Raiders. The team also noted it was the Raiders’ first kickoff-return touchdown since Jacoby Ford in 2011.
The club further credited Laube’s kickoff-return production to a season-long stretch that, through eight games, includes a league-best 34.1 yards per kickoff return, per the Raiders’ release.
Raiders coaching and team coverage emphasized that Laube’s value extends beyond returns. The team reported he also contributed as a gunner on special teams, including securing a tackle on a kickoff in the fourth quarter against the Jets.
Laube’s overall weekly role and the team’s history also framed the honor: he became the first Raider to win AFC Special Teams Player of the Week since Daniel Carlson in Week 18 of the 2021 season, according to the release.