Given the dropoff in the number of kickoff returns during the 2023 NFL season with zero kickoff return attempts occurring in Super Bowl LVIII, it’s become clear that the NFL is committed to changing the format for kickoffs – but it’s not clear what those changes will be.
Dallas Cowboys executive Stephen Jones is a member of the NFL’s competition committee. And this week, he revealed a pretty major problem with all of the potential changes to the kickoff format: nobody seems to be able to agree on a format.
“I think everybody wants something different,” Jones said according to ESPN. “They don’t want a ceremonial play. They want it to be a real play and we just got to do it in a way that’s safe for the players so you don’t have the injury rate that we’ve had in the past; that it’s more in line with what a typical football play is. So I think that’s really important . . . I think it can be a positive play that the fans would really enjoy.”
NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent made it clear that there is “no question” that there will be a proposal to change the format of kickoffs this offseason, but now we just have to see what that proposal ultimately is.
[ESPN]
