The NFL continues to evolve annually with changes to help enhance the product and keep players safe. Changes to the kickoff process have limited serious injuries as teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, could be in for more changes after December’s league meetings.
“I think kickoff stats, they speak for themselves,” NFL executive V.P. of officiating Troy Vincent said. “It’s a dead, ceremonial play today.”
Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub addressed the potential new change to the kickoff process during Wednesday’s press conference.
“I don’t think they’ll ever gonna take it away,” Toub explained. “I’m among those guys on that committee, and I know Troy (Vincent) doesn’t want to take kickoff away. I know that’s not his goal. He understands that it’s becoming a play that people fair catch, and it’s not an important play.
“But, the NFL rule would put coaching back [into play] because now you got to every check, you got to cover and tackle. So that’s definitely something that we’re going to look at. It could possibly come down to that maybe next year or the year after. We’re definitely gonna look at it.”
The system used in the XFL has grown in popularity and continues to be suggested as the new standard in the NFL.