All good things come in threes — including reliability.
Anchored by kicker Cameron Dicker, punter JK Scott and long snapper Josh Harris, the Chargers’ specialists have been a bedrock of stability the past three seasons. That steadiness seemed in jeopardy when Scott’s contract expired this offseason.
Like a rock band losing its guitarist, it looked as though the group might have played its final tour together. But for Scott — whose bond with Dicker and Harris runs deeper than football — staying in L.A. felt like divine intervention.
“Truly, it was something me and my wife made a decision together from a place of prayer,” Scott said of re-signing. “We felt like we were supposed to be here. The relationships that we have here, we just felt like this was the right fit.”
Assembled by special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken, the unit thrives on contrast. Dicker is the lively free spirit. Scott brings a reserved, thoughtful presence. Harris, 36, is the seasoned veteran.
“They’re like big brothers,” Dicker, the youngest of the group, said. “It’s been really cool to have them in my life and helping with things on the field, off the field. Leading me through it all, and just going through the journey of life coming out of college, it’s nice to have those guys.”
The three specialists, along with Ficken, are holdovers from the previous regime. Ficken, one of the few coaches retained when Jim Harbaugh was hired as head coach, engineered the transformation.
Before his arrival, the Chargers ranked near the bottom in special teams DVOA, or defense-adjusted value over average — 32nd in 2020 and 28th in 2021. With Harris and Scott’s offseason signing and Dicker’s arrival midseason, the unit rose to sixth by the end of 2022 and second in 2023.
“The way they approach the game and how they respect one another and they understand that each other’s success is going to help all of us,” Ficken said. “Having all three of them back another year just continues to allow us to grow.”
Under Ficken’s guidance, Dicker has become one of the league’s most accurate, converting 89 of 95 kicks since 2022. He had a franchise-record 150 points last season with 39 field goals and 33 extra points.
Scott finished top 10 in downed punts inside the 20-yard line and posted the second-highest hang time in the league at 4.65 seconds last season.
“Selfishly, I’m going to say we have the best room in the league,” Harris said. “Getting to come to work with JK, Dick and Fick, we really work well together. … There’s nobody else that I’d rather go out there with.”
When the Jacksonville Jaguars cut Scott early in the 2021 season and he went unsigned for the rest of the year, Ficken advocated bringing him to the Chargers.
“He called me and told me he wanted to have me as his punter for a while,” Scott said. “I attribute a lot of just me being here to him. So I’m grateful for him. Really, really love that guy.”
And when there was a chance the trio could drift apart, Ficken acted as the glue keeping them together. His faith in Scott ultimately factored into Scott’s decision to re-sign.
“He really believes in me, believes in Josh and Cameron,” Scott said. “He always expressed that, and it’s crazy, the power of when you have people believing in you, it helps you believe in yourself more.”
The group is guaranteed to stay together for at least one more year.
Scott signed a two-year, $6-million contract in March. Dicker secured a four-year, $22-million extension last season, making him among the highest-paid kickers. Harris, however, is in the final year of his contract and will miss at least the first four games after being placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Rick Lovato will take over until Harris returns.
While the turnaround of a once-abysmal special teams unit is the measurement of success, the playful off-field moments define their time together.
Sometimes it’s Harris offering Scott smelling salts — a practice Dicker, who is naturally amped, skips. Or it’s Harris snapping a photo of Dicker, Scott and Ficken next to the Dicker’s famous fair-catch kick cleats on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Then there’s Scott, who asked Harris a loaded question during a recent news conference: “Who do you like more, JK Scott or Cameron Dicker?”
“I can’t answer,” Harris said with a chuckle. “You guys are the best, but you’re sitting in here, so I guess I’ll have to go with my guy right now, showing support.”
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