The NFL has always had a bad tendency to go overboard with its rule changes whenever it feels the integrity of its game is threatened. They banned touchdown celebrations for an extended period of time because they felt it was an unwelcome distraction from the game, which was stupid. Over the past several years, they’ve implemented several changes that saw kickoffs, the most highly-anticipated moment of a Sunday afternoon, neutered due to safety concerns. It appears they’ve begun realizing their mistake thanks to what happened this past season as the Chicago Bears and other teams finally gave up trying to make that moment exciting.
Thanks to a new fair catch rule implemented in 2023, kickoff returns hit an all-time low of 18.9%. That was down from 37.5% in 2022. As a result, fans stopped paying attention until after the kicks were done, both at home and the stadium. Making the game less exciting feels like a bad business decision for the NFL, and it appears they’ve started to recognize that. According to insider Judy Battista, the Competition Committee is considering a proposal to drastically alter the kickoff format, hoping to reignite the excitement without sacrificing safety.
It will involve poaching an idea from a rival league.
They have one of the better kickoff return weapons in Velus Jones, yet he wasn’t able to do much of anything last year because of the rule changes. Under XFL guidelines, the kickoff would go like this.
“The kicker lines up at his 30-yard line, with the other 10 members of the kickoff team lining up at the opponent’s 35 — 5 yards away from the returning team. Only the kicker and one returner can move until the ball is fielded. Touchbacks are spotted at the 35-yard line.”
Current NFL kickoffs take place from the 35-yard line. Moving it back five yards increases the odds of a return happening. By forcing the other 20 players on the field to stand five yards apart it also reduces the chances of high-impact collisions, which were a big reason for concussion problems across the league. No less than 97% of kickoffs were returned in the XFL, with 13 players having ten returns or more. There was never any news of concussions being an issue, and fans always loved watching the play. Three players had returns of 79 yards or more. Imagine that with NFL-caliber talent.
The Chicago Bears certainly will. They have Jones and others with legitimate speed. Jones finished 5th in the league in kick return yards and averaged the most at 27.2. This is a weapon the team is eager to unleash. Such a rule change is exactly what they need.
