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The NFL tried to find a happy middle with its dynamic kickoff return rules instituted at the start of the 2024 season. The idea was that most games would theoretically be safer with fewer full-speed kickoff returns — often regarded as the most dangerous play in pro football. At the same time, the kickoff return would stay in place, albeit in a different form, appealing to special teams coaches, players, and football traditionalists everywhere.
As is often the case, it appears the NFL was only paying lip service to the idea of improved safety in its game. Because it's already walking back part of the dynamic kickoff in a manner that screams, "Well, maybe a few more dangerous high-speed collisions is OK. They never hurt anyone, right? Touchdowns go brr."
On Wednesday, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported that the NFL may consider tweaking its kickoff rules once again. Per Jones, the league apparently still wants to see a higher return rate and, as such, could move up the touchback to the 35-yard line to incentivize kicking teams from simply booting the ball through the back of the end zone. That is a big deal, as it would be a significant shift in the league's stance since August.
Let's set aside the absurdity of any offensive possessions starting at the 35-yard line, even though that would make it unnecessarily easy for quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. That much is already clear.
Why on Earth would the NFL want more kickoff returns when this policy was partly put in place to limit them? Why would the NFL want to increase kickoff returns when, according to its own operations department, the number of returns went up by 11 percent from the 2023 to the 2024 season? Why do we need to force opposing teams to put the ball in play in a dangerous third-phase sequence that quite frankly feels extremely vestigial in the grand scheme of a weekly three-hour event when there were 59 big-play returns last year, the most in any season since 2016?
You have the big plays. Do you really need more meaningless 15 to 20-yard returns most people forget happened in seconds? Who is this for, exactly? Oh, I shouldn't be kidding myself.
We're talking about the brazen NFL never knowing to quit while it's still ahead. No one should be surprised:
In the grand scheme of things, this would likely be a superfluous change that most casual observers of the NFL won't even notice after a few weeks. Ask yourself how often you thought about the dynamic kickoff last year. I'd venture to guess it barely crossed your mind after the preseason concluded. While it would suck to have touchbacks bordering midfield, most folks would eventually just accept it as a nuance of the game. Though, don't be surprised if scoring leaguewide were to go up dramatically. Field position is everything.
But the mere idea that the NFL isn't satisfied with the number of kick returns on a rule that was supposed to strike down the middle with a compromise for everyone involved is kinda odious. It reeks of a major sports league catering to one niche crowd (in this case, special teams coordinators and football fans who have ignored the kickoff's obvious slow death) while abandoning any "principled" stand after one less-than-flattering piece of data. As everyone knows, good decisions can only be driven by data or profit or something.
This development would be par for the course for the NFL. What's a few more hazardous collisions per game with elite athletes if it means a minuscule chance of someone breaking off a long run on one in 30 attempts?
Ethics and safety be damned because football go brr.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL may change kickoff return 2025 rules again, ignoring safety
Continue reading...
As is often the case, it appears the NFL was only paying lip service to the idea of improved safety in its game. Because it's already walking back part of the dynamic kickoff in a manner that screams, "Well, maybe a few more dangerous high-speed collisions is OK. They never hurt anyone, right? Touchdowns go brr."
On Wednesday, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported that the NFL may consider tweaking its kickoff rules once again. Per Jones, the league apparently still wants to see a higher return rate and, as such, could move up the touchback to the 35-yard line to incentivize kicking teams from simply booting the ball through the back of the end zone. That is a big deal, as it would be a significant shift in the league's stance since August.
Let's set aside the absurdity of any offensive possessions starting at the 35-yard line, even though that would make it unnecessarily easy for quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. That much is already clear.
Why on Earth would the NFL want more kickoff returns when this policy was partly put in place to limit them? Why would the NFL want to increase kickoff returns when, according to its own operations department, the number of returns went up by 11 percent from the 2023 to the 2024 season? Why do we need to force opposing teams to put the ball in play in a dangerous third-phase sequence that quite frankly feels extremely vestigial in the grand scheme of a weekly three-hour event when there were 59 big-play returns last year, the most in any season since 2016?
You have the big plays. Do you really need more meaningless 15 to 20-yard returns most people forget happened in seconds? Who is this for, exactly? Oh, I shouldn't be kidding myself.
We're talking about the brazen NFL never knowing to quit while it's still ahead. No one should be surprised:
In the grand scheme of things, this would likely be a superfluous change that most casual observers of the NFL won't even notice after a few weeks. Ask yourself how often you thought about the dynamic kickoff last year. I'd venture to guess it barely crossed your mind after the preseason concluded. While it would suck to have touchbacks bordering midfield, most folks would eventually just accept it as a nuance of the game. Though, don't be surprised if scoring leaguewide were to go up dramatically. Field position is everything.
But the mere idea that the NFL isn't satisfied with the number of kick returns on a rule that was supposed to strike down the middle with a compromise for everyone involved is kinda odious. It reeks of a major sports league catering to one niche crowd (in this case, special teams coordinators and football fans who have ignored the kickoff's obvious slow death) while abandoning any "principled" stand after one less-than-flattering piece of data. As everyone knows, good decisions can only be driven by data or profit or something.
This development would be par for the course for the NFL. What's a few more hazardous collisions per game with elite athletes if it means a minuscule chance of someone breaking off a long run on one in 30 attempts?
Ethics and safety be damned because football go brr.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL may change kickoff return 2025 rules again, ignoring safety
Continue reading...
