The Baltimore Ravens aren’t getting enough juice from LaJohntay Wester. When he was drafted in 2025, he was labeled as an explosive, shifty athlete who made plays as a punt returner. Some called for a breakout in 2026 ... the exact opposite is happening.
Wester returned the second punt of his career for a touchdown in the 2025 preseason. Since then, he’s provided sporadic encouraging returns, but has lacked consistency. His rookie campaign was underwhelming, and 2026 is off to an even worse start.
The 24-year-old was handed punt-return duties on a silver platter this offseason. Seven weeks in, and he’s disappointing.
While you can’t overreact, Wester isn’t playing like the player Baltimore needs him to be.
Baltimore Ravens aren’t getting enough out of LaJohntay Wester
LaJohntay Wester has potential. When given space, he’s the kind of player who can turn upfield for 15+ yards in a flash. He possesses the speed and explosiveness to keep defenses and special teams units on their heels.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always show. Whether he’s being too conservative or not breaking into the open field, Wester isn’t making much of an impact this year.
So far, Wester has just one return for 20+ yards, and his 9.1 yards per return is flat-out underwhelming. That mark ranks 19th in the NFL among players with at least seven punt returns.
Some of that is on the return coverage. They haven’t given Wester consistent space to work with, and he’s often forced to back up near his own goal line. But sometimes, he’s way too passive.
We saw it in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Sure, Cincinnati punter Ryan Rehkow was a force, going 4-for-4 on punts inside the 10, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. However, Wester’s decision-making was questionable.
Notably, he signaled for a fair catch at Baltimore’s own 6-yard line, where he had space to put his speed and shiftiness to use and make a play. At the very least, he could’ve gotten the offense in a somewhat more comfortable field position. The average starting field position being the 6.8-yard line in that game is abysmal.
The agonizing part is how punts can flip the field. The Ravens are losing that battle.
Good punt returners can shift the momentum. It can be a great start to the ensuing offensive drive. Baltimore hasn’t really gotten that from their kick or punt returners since Devin Duvernay’s All-Pro-caliber seasons.
It’s still too early to judge LaJohntay Wester’s career. He’s flashed the ability to be a dangerous playmaker — it just seems his vision, indecisiveness, and lack of aggressiveness have limited him. Hopefully he can break out of this funk and throw the offense a bone, because they desperately need it right now.
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