The NFL is making some radical changes to kickoffs this year that will likely result in the kicker having to make more tackles. As a result, it sounds like the Kansas City Chiefs are planning a pretty bold move: use a position player to kick the ball off.
Chiefs safety Justin Reid has served as a backup kicker for starter Harrison Butker on multiple occasions. Given that he has proven himself a capable kicker and is obviously a more capable tackler than Burker, the Chiefs are planning to use him to kick the ball off this season instead of Butker.
During a recent appearance on Chris Long’s Green Light Podcast, Reid opened up a little bit about this strategy.
“The advantage for us is that if I’m doing the job — which is what we’re planning on doing — then I can fill that last gap, so it makes it a little bit easier and nobody needs to win two gaps,” Reid said according to Pro Football Talk.
And while this could be seen as a sort of demotion for Butker as Reid is taking over one of his duties, it sounds like Butker understands the move.
“We’re in a great place with it,” Reid said. “Although I know he can make some tackles, I think he’s excited to preserve himself, and we can use him where we really need him, which is those fourth-quarter situations to go nail a 60-yard field goal and win the game. It would be devastating to try and trot a guy out there who’s still nicked up from trying to make a tackle in the second quarter.”
There’s also another benefit to this move for Reid. Given that he now has a special role on the team, this could potentially extend his career a little longer.
“We might have added some time to my career. You might’ve extended my show a couple years,” Reid said. “When I’m done being the starting guy on safety, I can turn into that rotational third safety and also be a kickoff specialist.”
We’ll have to see how this plan works out for the Chiefs.
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