Andy isn’t on board.
Incase you haven’t heard, the NFL changed the kickoff touchback rules, meaning if a kick returner calls for a fair catch inside the 25-yard line, it will be a touchback, and the ball will automatically be placed at the 25 to start the offensive possession, making the new rules identical to college football.
According to NFL.com, Rich McKay, chairman of the NFL’s competition committee, said:
“The kickoff play for us has been a play that has had a lot of changes for us over the years, all really driven by health and safety.
The concussion rate on the play has gone up. It’s gone up because the ball is being returned more by kicks that are being hung inside the 5-yard line.
College made this rule change in maybe 2018 or 2019. We looked at their data and said, you know what, this is the right thing to do now.”
Of course, this is a measure to prevent serious injury on special teams, and there has been a load of mixed responses on social media.
With that being said, there’s one NFL head coach who isn’t necessarily a fan of this rule change, and it’s no other than Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
He expressed his displeasure for the new rule in a press conference, saying:
“My thing is, where does it stop, right? We’ll see how this goes. You don’t want to take too many pieces away and you’ll be playing flag football.”
You can understand why Reid is hesitant about the new rule change, because he’s one of the few coaches left in the NFL who has seen the league progressively change over the years to safer rules.
I guess we’ll see at the end of the 2023 season how Reid truly feels about this change.
