Is the art of the kickoff return dying in the NFL?

Why did it take so long to see a kickoff return touchdown this season?

The rule was intended to improve returns, yardage and starting field position for teams, which has achieved that goal. From 2024 to 2025, return rate shot up from 32.8% to 74.5% but also raised the concussion rate from 0.87% to 1.79%, which is still lower than what it was before the rule change, according to ESPN.

This season, the league reduced the number of players the kicking team can have on their restraining line — their own 35-yard line — from six to five players and allowed returning teams to have a maximum of four players in the setup zone, which is the five-yard area behind the restraining line, along with other new guidelines. 

Apparently that was enough to reduce long returns. There were a couple close calls — Cincinnati Bengals WR Dohnte Meyers nearly scored on the opening kickoff in Week 5 and Miami Dolphins RB Jaylen Wright and Cleveland Browns RB Raheim Sanders each almost took one to the house in Week 1 — but it took until November to get the job done.

Are the rules to blame or is it just bad luck?

Entering Week 8, the league average for yards per returns was 25.8, only 0.1 lower than the 2025 average. Last season also saw a drought in return scores. The first of the season was in Week 2, but the next one wasn't until Week 9. Five more followed in Weeks 10, 12, 14 and 16 and in the divisional round.

Laube's return might have solved the puzzle of how to score on the new formation and a flurry of successes may soon follow, much like last season. It's unlucky that it took this long, but if one of the previously listed returns scored, this wouldn't even be a discussion.

The NFL is a league of adjustments and teams will figure out how to score on the kickoff again, until the next wave of rule changes and adjustments come along.