Dolphins receiver Ted Ginn, who delivered two kickoff returns for touchdowns during a game in which he’d been stripped of his spot in the starting lineup on offense, has been rewarded for his efforts via receipt of the AFC special teams player of the month award.
For the month, Ginn generated 646 yards on 21 returns, which equates to an average of 31.7 yards.
For the season, he currently leads the AFC with a 28.8-yard average.
At a time when he was being called an “embarrassment and a coward” by former Dolphins great Bob Kuechenberg, Ginn became the first player in league history to produce kickoff returns of 100 yards or longer in the same game. Absent his efforts, the Dolphins likely would have lost to the Jets that day, primarily since their offense sputtered throughout the contest.
It remains to be seen whether and to what extent Ginn fits within the team’s plans moving forward. Per a league source, Ginn has a guaranteed base salary of $1.035 million in 2010, and a base salary of $1.394 million in 2011, more than $1.2 million of which is guaranteed.
He’s also eligible for up to $2.9 million in escalators for 2011. If the triggers relate in any way to performance as a kick returner, he’s surely already lined himself up to earn all of them.