In American football, a gunner is a player on kickoffs and punts who specializes in running down the sideline very quickly in an attempt to tackle the kick returner or the punt returner. Gunners have to very fast, have excellent handfighting skills in order to shed blockers, and good agility in order to turn the corner once the return is determined to be going up the middle. Gunners on the punt team also must be able to block or catch.

Nearly all gunners play Safety, Cornerback, or Wide Receiver when not on special teams

Gunner may also refer to the one or two players assigned to block the gunner of the punting team.

American football positions