Through 12 weeks of the 2019 season, the Green Bay Packers were headed for historic ineptitude in one specific area. The team had amassed negative-eight yards on punt returns over the first three-quarters of the year, putting them on pace to be the first NFL team to finish with negative yardage in that area in a full season.
Then, an inspired waiver claim by general manager Brian Gutekunst turned the team’s special teams fortunes. The Packers claimed Tyler Ervin off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars, immediately inserting him as their primary return man in place of Tremon Smith.