Okay, this is starting to get confusing.
In 2024, with an eye toward player safety, the NFL revised its touchback rule to allow offenses to start from their own 30-yard line following kickoffs that gothrough the end zone. Widely considered among the most dangerous plays in football, the league created what it dubbed the “Dynamic Kickoff” in the hope of deterring dangerous kick returns and, in turn, reducing concussions and other significant injuries.
To do this, the NFL is giving offenses a 10-yard advantage over the previous rule, with touchbacks now starting from the 30-yard line. Also, players on the kicking team now line up downfield, and can’t begin their coverage until a player or the ground touches the ball.
Well, the change worked. Though, apparently, a little too well.
According to the NFL, the 2024 regular season saw a 43% decrease in concussions stemming from kickoffs compared with statistics from 2023. That’s because more and more teams opted to let the ball trickle through the end zone and start possessions from the 30 rather than risk a shorter return.
“This season’s injury data underscores real progress in our efforts to reduce concussions and lower-extremity strains, key areas of focus for the league’s injury reduction strategy,” Dr. Allen Sills, NFL chief medical officer, said at the time 2024 injury statistics were released. “We’re glad to see continued focus on these injuries pay off, and as always, will be using this injury data to inform and further strengthen our injury prevention and reduction approach during the offseason.”
So what’s the problem? Touchbacks are boring.
In steps the NFL, again. Seeking to appease viewers (or perhaps more accurately, advertisers), the NFL once again changed its touchback rule before the start of the season. This time, however, it kept the delayed start for members of the kicking team, but again moved the touchback spot — this time to the 35-yard line.
What’s ensured, at least through Week 1 of the 2025-2026 season, is a trend of teams kicking returnable balls in an effort to pin offenses down well before the 35. And once again, the change is working.
The NFL says that this past week of action produced the highest single-week return rate in 15 years, with 118 of 156 kickoffs resulting in a return. Moreover, Week 1 saw seven returns of at least 40 yards. Exciting? Totally. But aren’t these high-impact returns the NFL was trying to avoid in the first place?
So much for player safety, huh?
There’s no doubt touchbacks are boring. The frustrating part is that reducing dangerous kickoff returns is exactly what the NFL wanted.
So which is it? Exciting plays that also just so happen to be dangerous? Or safety first, even if that means a reduction in entertainment value? You can’t have it both ways, and when the first injury reports of the season are released to the media later in the week, the figures will likely show just that.
If statistics show the number of concussions back on the rise, we’ll see just how serious the NFL really is about protecting its athletes. At least we can expect the league to be consistently inconsistent with this one.
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