Broncos’ WR Eddie Royal Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Broncos wide receiver Eddie Royal has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, despite returning just one punt on Sunday afternoon.

Royal — who has over 2,000 return yards in his career — returned a punt 85-yards for a touchdown,  representing the go-ahead score in Denver’s 38-24 win against Oakland last week.  Adding a 26-yard receiving touchdown earlier in the game, Royal became just the second player in franchise history to catch and return a touchdown in the same game.

Kudos to Royal.  Hopefully the Broncos will make him the main returner moving forward.  Official press release after the jump.

  ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos wide receiver Eddie Royal will be named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the National Football League informed the Broncos on Tuesday.

Royal’s 85-yard punt return for a touchdown with 5:53 remaining in the fourth quarter represented the go-ahead score in Denver’s 38-24 win against Oakland last week. The punt return marked the sixth-longest such play in franchise history and the second punt return score of his career.

His selection as AFC Special Teams Player of the Week marks the second such award of his four-year NFL career (Week 6, 2009). The performance also marks the 21st time in team history a Broncos player has received the honor, which was initiated by the NFL in 1993.

Royal added a 26-yard touchdown reception against the Raiders to become just the second player in franchise history (Rick Upchurch, 1982) to record a receiving touchdown and a punt return touchdown in the same game.