The NFL made some massive changes to its kickoff format this offseason in an attempt to increase the number of returns while also prioritizing player safety. But one prominent NFL kicker does not seem all that happy about the changes the league has made.
Over the past few years, Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson has emerged as one of the top kickers in the entire league, but he doesn’t seem all that happy about the new kickoff format, saying that it “doesn’t feel too much like football.”
“It’s definitely interesting. It brings a lot of placement into play. It’s all touch. It feels weird for me,” McPherson said according to the Cincinnati Bengals team website. “I’m used to kicking it as high as I can, as hard as I can. Now I have to throw it inside to the 5-yard line in specific areas. It’s definitely an adjustment. You have to play the wind a lot more now.”
Obviously, McPherson and all of the other kickers throughout the league will have to adjust to the new rules, just like any other time a significant rule change takes place in the sport. But early on, it doesn’t sound like he’s a fan.
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