The NFL made drastic changes to its kickoff rules in March to increase the number of kickoff returns while reducing the risk of a high rate of serious injuries. While it’s too early to make any concrete judgments, preseason results suggest the number of kickoff returns could increase significantly this season.
In a press conference Monday focused on health and safety, the NFL announced that the kickoff return rate through the first two weeks of the preseason is about 78 percent. In 2023, the kickoff return rate during the regular season was just 21.8 percent, according to TruMedia.
Kickoff return rates are typically higher in the preseason as teams refine their strategy and look to give special teams prospects more playing time, but there has still been a significant increase. From 2020 to 2023, the average preseason kickoff return rate was just 54.7 percent.
Because the NFL does not yet have data on kickoff return injuries, it is impossible to say whether the rule has helped prevent more frequent injuries to players.
“Obviously, sample size is really important,” NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said Monday. “So far, nothing has stood out. There have been no unusual findings in the first two weeks in terms of the frequency of injuries or the type of injuries, but that is obviously something we will continue to monitor closely.”
The average kickoff return in the preseason was 25 yards, up from 23 yards last season. There were 39 kickoff returns of 30 yards or more in the preseason; there were only 97 such returns in all of last season. Again, the sample size is small, but it suggests there will be more explosive plays on kickoff returns this year.
“We’ve seen a lot more kicks returned, we’ve seen more dynamic kicks – big plays – and we’ve seen more distribution in the starting points of drives,” Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of player health and safety, said Monday.
Another big difference was the teams’ average starting field position after kickoffs. In 2023, the teams’ average starting field position after kickoff returns or touchbacks was their own 25.2-yard line. In the 2024 preseason, that number is the team’s own 28.1-yard line.
Since touchbacks result in the ball being placed at the receiving team’s 30-yard line, the question is whether teams will simply settle for touchbacks to avoid explosive returns. The preseason touchback rate is just 19 percent, which is significantly lower than last year’s 73 percent regular-season rate, but that could change once the regular season begins.
When asked if the NFL could change kickoff rules to impose a harsher penalty for touchbacks before the start of the regular season, the league left the door open.
“It’s a one-year rule change, so we expect to evaluate that as the season progresses,” NFL Chief Football Administrative Officer Dawn Aponte said Monday. “As the preseason progresses, it’s very possible we’ll see some changes as the regular season begins. We’ll continue to monitor that. … There’s still a lot to see as we head into the regular season.”
It’s rare for the NFL to make rule changes during the regular season, but Aponte didn’t completely rule out the possibility that the league might tweak its new kickoff rules a bit.
“Our goal is to have the rule in place by the start of the season. I never say never — there are people above my pay grade who decide that — but that’s the goal,” Aponte said. “We’ll continue to evaluate it throughout the season. And I think anything that needs clarification will come out when needed.”
(Photo: Jaiden Tripi / Getty Images)
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