Why Seahawks punter Michael Dickson is worth every penny

Seahawks punter Michael Dickson signed an extension on Friday. Dickson was drafted in 2018 to be a defensive “weapon” and he has been just that. Last year, Michael Dickson was robbed but not in the normal sense of the word. Dickson should have been First-Team All-Pro in 2020, just as he was in 2018.

Dickson’s extension will pay him up to $16 million over the next four years. In the first two seasons, Dickson will make $10.6 million which includes s signing bonus of $6.5 million. In other words, if you know Michael Dickson, dinner might be on him tonight.

And Dickson is worth every penny for the Seahawks. He has already set franchise records for average yards per punt (49.6) and net yards per punt (44.4) and both came in 2020. In fact, arguably Dickson’s best season was last year and not his rookie year when he was All-Pro.

Seahawks signed Michael Dickson to an extension on Friday

In weeks 14 through 17 of last year, Dickson had zero touchbacks but also landed 62.5 percent of his punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. To get that many inside the 20 but also keep the ball out of the end zone shows nearly un-human accuracy.

For the season, Dickson led the entire NFL in punts inside the 20 with 32. Dickson was third in net yards per punt and second in average yards per punt. Dickson was 11th in yards returned per punt average (7.1) so even when his punts were fielded, most times the other team didn’t get much out of it.

Dickson was taken in the fifth round of the 2018 draft (the Seahawks moved up to take him) and he is by far the best Seahawks player chosen that year. Maybe Rashaad Penny and Will Dissly will produce at a higher level this year while also staying healthy. Possibly Rasheem Green will get 6 sacks or more this year. Tre Flowers might show he is a long-term answer at cornerback for the Seahawks.

All of the players mentioned above would technically be in a walk-year entering 2021. But not Michael Dickson. The Seahawks smartly signed him for several more years and he should be with the Seahawks beyond that. The punter position will not be a problem for the Seahawks for the foreseeable future.