NFL Considering Change To Controversial Kickoff Rule in 2025

The NFL could keep tweaking its kickoff rules this offseason.

Last year, the league reimagined the kickoff after the 2023 season saw the lowest return rate in NFL history. The changes produced more action, but not as much as some fans may have liked. According to the NFL, 32.8 percent of kickoffs were returned in 2024. Fifty-nine returns went for at least 40 yards, with seven resulting in touchdowns.

According to NFL Network's Judy Battista, the NFL will consider more changes to yield more returns. NFL Competition Committee co-chair Rich McKay said Sunday that they're discussing moving a touchback up from the 30 to the 35-yard line. The league could also push the kicker back five yards to the 30, but they may only try to enact one of those two suggestions.

Last year, 26 of 32 teams achieved touchbacks on more than half of their kickoffs. Yet some teams would intentionally try to keep the ball inside the landing zone in hopes of stuffing the returner short of the 30-yard line. Only five teams allowed more than 30 yards per return.

One or both of these potential adjustments would likely cause fewer touchbacks, which may spark more big plays.

Player safety initially motivated the league to make the old kickoff less prevalent, but the NFL reported the same amount of concussions (eight) in 2024 as the previous year despite a 57 percent spike in returns.