CLEVELAND — As a crucial AFC North matchup with the Baltimore Ravens approaches, the Cleveland Browns currently find themselves without an active punter on their roster. But even after placing Jamie Gillan on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday, the Browns may not have to look outside their own building for special teams help, with linebacker Mack Wilson taking to social media to offer his services as Cleveland's new punter.
"It's time," Wilson tweeted along with a crying laughing emoji while posting a screenshot of a Bleacher Report article about his role as Alabama's backup punter in college.
While it appears that Wilson made his post-+ in jest, there could be some merit to the third-year linebacker's plea. In the aforementioned article from 2017 -- titled "The Most Feared Backup Punter in the Country: Alabama's Hard-Hitting Mack Wilson" -- Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer chronicled the 5-star recruit's time as the Crimson Tide's backup punter.
"I have a lot of leg power," Wilson said at the time, also noting that his longest punt to date is around 60 yards. "If I can get my technique down, I feel like I can be a good punter."
Added two-time All-SEC punter J.K. Scott: "When he hits a good ball on a punt, he can compete with probably any punter in the country. He can smoke a ball. He’s not as consistent, but he can really hammer it."
News Gillan being placed on the COVID-19 list on Thursday even resulted in some fans circulating videos of Wilson's punting skills.
Yet despite the linebacker's punting prowess, the expectation remains that Cleveland will sign a new punter to start in place of Gillan on Sunday.