The NFL’s new dynamic kick-off was brought in with two agendas. One was to increase the return rate to offer more exciting play and the second was to ensure player safety by reducing injury risks. The results in pre-season do point toward a return rate better than what we have seen in the last decade and it is getting support from some quarters. But how will it translate into the competitive league environment?

A big change from the previous rule is how coverage players line up. Under the new setup, the players will be at the opponent’s 40-yard line, 25 yards in front of where the kicker tees it up. The return team’s blockers align between the 30 and 35-yard line, significantly tightening the space between blockers and the coverage team. By reducing the distance the coverage players have in order to get to top speed, the collisions with blockers could be less damaging.

Since the rule change was first announced and then implemented in the pre-season, there have been mixed reviews about how NFL coaches feel about it.  Steelers’ Mike Tomlin was the latest to share his thoughts on the dynamic rule and how it will affect games going forward.

During his recent pre-week one interview with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tomlin made it clear that teams may not be risking much for that extra yard (yeah, he’s eyeing that 28.5-yard preseason average). He expects a lot of touchbacks across the league. But his focus is less on the “wow” moments and more on preventing what could go wrong, especially after Andy Reid‘s Chiefs fell victim to some special teams’ mishaps in the preseason.

“Globally, I think you’ll see a lot of teams err on the side of caution and not compete for that yard and a half, and kick touchbacks and spot the ball on 30. Arthur Smith talked about the physicality he wants to see out of his offense up front. But your run game, what you’ve seen from Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren up to this point, they’re definitely grown now,” Mike Tomlin asserted, noting that teams will probably spot the ball at the 30-yard line.

With the NFL’s latest kickoff rule, teams are leaning towards risk management—and it’s clear the Steelers’ HC is ready to toe that line, keeping his players disciplined in the process. The increased touchbacks are certainly an aspect of the new rule that will impact games.

Kicking teams now line up at the receiving team’s 40-yard line, not their own 35. They also need to wait until the ball lands or the receiver’s in the “landing zone” (20 to the end zone) before they can start their run. The receiving team’s got a “setup zone” from the 35 to the 30-yard line, with nine players facing the kickers, seven on the 35. The goal? Cut down on high-speed collisions and boost safety. How teams deploy the dynamic kick off in the season remains to be seen, but in the pre-season, it bore results as per NFL’s expectations.

According to the Associated Press, the new format led to a 70.5% return rate during the preseason–the league’s highest preseason return rate in 10 years. Comparatively, last season, the NFL preseason recorded a return rate of  54.8%. Interestingly, the new kickoff rule comes after the NFL lagged behind the upstart minor league XFL, partially owned by Hollywood star and pro wrestler Dwyane Johnson.

The XFL registered 341 kickoff returns in 2023 in 40 regular-season games while the NFL had 587 in 272 games. The XFL’s average stood at 8.5 and the NFL’s was 2.2. Last season, the NFL had the lowest kickoff return rate in history and with this in mind, it is not a surprise that the league has gone for a change. However, the change was received with some skepticism. Speaking to the Athletic on the condition of anonymity, many HCs and GMs expressed their concerns.

An NFC GM outright questioned the decision saying, “The league wants everyone to think it’s a fix and will jam it down our throats and say, ‘See, it works, the return numbers are up.’ But is it really better? Questionable.”

Former Patriots HC Bill Belichick said, “Once you get into the regular season, just touchback ‘em. I mean, you put the ball on the 30 instead of the 25, big deal, I’d rather do that than kick it to one of these guys who’s got a chance to change field position on you in a hurry.” 

We saw another glimpse of the new kick-off during the Hall of Fame game between the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans on August 1. Out of the eight kickoffs that took place, only one resulted in a touchback. Last season the touchback rate was 73%, the highest touchback since 1970.

So far in the 15 opening games of the NFL season, the returns have increased and touchbacks have reduced. Week 1 has seen 63.5% of kickoffs go for touchbacks an improvement from last season, which saw 73.0 percent of kickoffs turn into touchbacks. Though there is a 9.5 percent increase in kickoff return, there remains a long way to go to deliver what NFL has promised about increasing returns.

After the Bears’ win Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus said that teams would have to adapt to the new rules and added, “We’re just trying to figure it out and do the best thing we can. And that’s going to be ongoing through the whole season.” For many teams, it will be a case of figuring it out as the season unfolds. Travis Kelce told his brother Jason that he was against the new rules but after he saw them play out on the field, he was on board.

“I’m so excited for it. I think it’s fun. It’s still electric. The guy with the ball is still hitting it as hard as he can.” Yet, there are some of still question the rule change and one of them is none other than former POTUS Donald Trump.

Donald Trump slams the NFL’s new kickoff rules 

Trump ain’t holding back his frustration with the NFL’s new kickoff rule change. The former president took to Truth Social, on September 6 slamming the league for this major change. “I can’t believe the NFL is effectively getting rid of the always exciting Kick Off Return. Such an exciting part of football. What are they doing? BEGINNING OF THE END!” he wrote.

These changes are the latest in a series of tweaks to reduce injuries. This season NFL has already banned hip-drop tackles, which again divided opinion. The NFL moved the kickoff spot up in 2011, adjusted touchbacks in 2016, and allowed fair catches anywhere last season. Now, they’re borrowing from the XFL to keep returns exciting and safe.