By: Henry Quach🇻🇳
Image via Micahel Domine/The Washington Post
The excitement of kickoff returns have slowly faded away as many kickers in today’s NFL are mostly creating high percentages in touchbacks instead of return attempts. However, the NFL has an idea on its attempt to save the kickoff game.
As the new NFL season is up and running with so many exciting games along the way, such as some rematches from top games in the past years, returning and new faces who aim to make it an impactful season in hopes to win the Lombardi Trophy.
Now, of course, there are many games that have played and brought excitement, but there is something that is completely new that may gain some excitement back after its disappearance during last season. The Kickoff.
At first, this seems like a boring topic to go over, and it has matched its description of the excitement level of the term Kickoff. However, it's been considered as a dead play in recent memory as we take a trip back to the 2023 season on the statistics of the kickoff game.
ESPN writer Kevin Seifert explained the percentages surrounding the kickoff game that made the huge consideration to implement the new rule change earlier in the offseason.
“NFL teams combined to return 22% of returns and allow 73% to end in touchbacks in the 2023 regular season,” said Seifert.
After that statistics, there were definite changes that were in huge development to ensure the return game after its disappearance in the 2023 NFL season.
NFL Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent Sr. led the charge with three special team coordinators from the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints on an agreement.
It was agreed upon in March 2024, after an owners’ meeting in review of the rule changes for the upcoming season and was favored to pass and to be implemented in the upcoming season with inspiration from the Extreme Football League.
The Extreme Football League, formerly known as XFL but now known as the United Football League, started this format when they returned for the first season in 2020, after a long wait after 2001.
This is a new change that fans are getting used to as longtime NFL fans give their input about the new rule change and give their thoughts on the dynamic kickoff.
Sophomore English major and Steelers fan Hayden Lazorchak believed that despite the needed change, the quality of the change hasn’t been produced due to the high level of kickers in today’s league.
“There is some more action because many kicks are still not returned or have short returns that feel like a waste of a play,” said Lazorchak. “The kickoff worked better in the XFL, where it was tested as those kickers are simply not are not as good as NFL kickers.”
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