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NFL reportedly may consider big change to limit kickers

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Oct 19, 2024 7:49 PM ET

NFL kickers have been hugely successful this season — perhaps too successful for the league’s liking.

In light of the widespread success of kickers in 2024, there is increasing talk that the league could look to narrow the goal posts in the future, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. No such change is likely this season or next, but it could be on the table if kicking numbers remain elevated.

NFL executive Jeff Milner also said this week that the Competition Committee could look at such a proposal at the end of the season.

NFL executive Jeff Milner says the Competition Committee will look at possibly narrowing goal posts after the season. Nothing imminent. The committee considers many ideas, rule changes and proposals.

— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) October 17, 2024

Russini points out that kickers have already converted on 77 kicks of 50 yards or more this season, a significantly higher number through six weeks than the league has ever seen before. It’s clear that kickers are consistently better than ever, but it is important to note that kicking in cold weather can be tougher, and numbers might start to go down as we get later in the season.

An NFL head coach told Russini that narrowing the goal posts "doesn’t make sense" and that it's punishing good kickers. "We need to embrace the outstanding performances, not penalize them for their improvements,” the head coach said.

Even if numbers do stay high, one could argue that this is an overreaction on the league’s part. Even the best kickers are still plenty capable of missing, though some conspiracy theorists would point to some other reasons for said misses.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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