Every offseason, the NFL’s Competition Committee looks at tweaks and changes to the league’s rules that can increase the quality of play on the field and/or make the game safer for players.
This time, the committee had massive decisions to make concerning the league’s kickoff rules, with two different proposals being considered. The final verdict on how kickoffs will be different in the 2025 season was given on Tuesday, via one prominent league insider.
NFL’s kickoff proposal was separated into two votes today, one that passed, one that was tabled. 1) The football now moves to the 35 after a touchback – that passed. 2) No vote at this time on the onside kick modification. It will pick back up at the May meeting,” reported ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“With Jake Moody’s inability to kick the ball into the end zone, the 49ers now have the most valuable kicker in football,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“you might as well make the football field only 80 yards long at this point,” one fan added.
“Kickoffs used to be fun to watch. Devin Hester. Cordarelle Patterson. A whole host of others who could break one from the end zone at any time. Now a COMPLETE borefest. Restore the original or just get it gone,” someone else wrote/
It’ll be interesting to see if teams make more kickoffs returnable with the ball being placed at the 35 now.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.