After he led the AFC averaging 27.9 yards per kick return as a rookie, Erickson emerged last season as a reliable occasional slot receiver with 12 balls at 15 yards per catch. Erickson finished second in the NFL in kick returns behind Minnesota's Cordarrelle Patterson but fended off Buffalo's Brandon Tate for the AFC crown after he ousted the Bengals' all-time return leader with an off-the-charts preseason.

"I approach it one day at a time, one practice at a time and just realize that everything matters," Erickson said. "Every meeting you're in, every practice, every play you get. There's always someone evaluating it. And just as a player, it's another chance for you to get better, another rep for you to learn something to just keep progressing and getting better every day. That's the approach I have been taking and will continue to take."