Houston Texans wide receiver Steven Sims (82) returns kickoff during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Why you might not see new fair catch rule used much in NFL preseason games

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Aug 11, 2023 10:36 AM ET

There have been three preseason games so far, and exactly zero fair catches called on kickoffs to take advantage of the NFL's new kickoff rule.

And it is not because every kickoff has been booted into the end zone for a touchback.

If somebody has a chance to return the kick, they have returned it.

It played out that way in the Hall of Fame game last Thursday, and it played out that way again in both preseason games on Thursday night between Houston and New England and Minnesota and Seattle. And based on the way coaches treat the preseason, we should probably expect that to continue over the next few weeks until the real football games begin.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was asked on Thursday about whether or not his team will use the fair catch rule, and he was adamant they were not going to use it and that every kick that could be returned would be returned because he wants to see what his players can do both returning and blocking.

Mike Tomlin said any chance the Steelers get to return a kickoff they will take advantage of. They won’t use the new fair catch rule. Tomlin wants to see returners return and blocking in the preseason.
— Dale Lolley (@dlolley_pgh) August 9, 2023

You can be sure that a lot of coaches across the league share that exact sentiment. Coaches do not really care about the results in these games and are not going to sweat it if they lose five or six years of field position on a kick.

The important thing is to see young players (and maybe some veteran players) make plays when they have the opportunity. Starting spots and roster spots are on the line and nobody is going to impress by simply putting their hand in the air and calling for a fair catch. If there is an opportunity for them to make a play to stand out and impress their coaching staff, they're going to take it.

Because of that, we might not see many fair catches on kickoffs until the real games start in mid-September.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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