New NFL kickoffs bring 2 long returns and plenty of confusion

The first full weekend of NFL exhibition games featuring new dynamic kickoffs included two long returns, a significant drop in touchbacks and mass confusion on an odd play that ended up as a rare safety.

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The NFL’s goals of increasing the rate of returns and bringing back the threat of big plays were mostly accomplished last weekend. The NFL reported 81% of kicks have been returned so far this preseason, even if teams have been a bit guarded in what wrinkles they were willing to show before the start of the regular season.

“You’ve seen everybody pretty much be vanilla in the preseason with the kickoff and how they’re attacking on kickoff return,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “I think the key part for us is seeing our guys run down and cover and who can make the space tackles.”

It also was important for everyone to understand the new rules, as evidenced by what happened to the Kansas City Chiefs when they tried to down a ball for a touchback only to have it be ruled as a safety.

The play in question came late in the first half of Kansas City’s game at Jacksonville on Saturday when Cam Little’s kick for Jacksonville landed in the front of the end zone before bouncing back into the field of play.

Mecole Hardman raced back and kneeled in the end zone before picking up the ball around the 1 and bringing it back over the goal line. Under the old NFL rules, kickoffs that landed in the end zone led to a automatic touchback.

The officials on the field initially ruled the play a touchback but because it was in the final 2 minutes of the first half, it was automatically reviewed. The call was then changed to a safety because Hardman brought the ball from the field of play into his end zone.

“I think it’s a good coaching point for all teams, to really coach our returners in that situation,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said. “It’s definitely going to be on the coach’s video that’s going to come out this week. It’s really a good teaching moment for everybody, us included, for our returners. It’s just a great way to learn that rule and to learn the game of football.”

The last time there was a safety on a kick return without a lateral came in the 2012 season opener when Darius Reynaud fielded the opening kick for Tennessee against Pittsburgh while standing in the end zone. He brought the ball from the field of play into the end zone and kneeled down, hoping for a touchback. But the play was ruled a safety.

The misplay by the Chiefs was the only score on a kickoff but there were two long returns with Jacksonville’s Parker Washington returning a kick 73 yards against Kansas City and Tennessee’s Kearis Jackson having a 63-yarder against San Francisco.

“I’m not going to lie; it looked crazy at first,” Washington said. “I thought I was supposed to be tackled a long time ago in mine, but it was exciting to be able to make a play like that. It was cool. It gave us confidence to be like, ‘OK, these kick returns are real and it’s going to be an exciting year.’”

There were only 10 kickoffs returned of at least 60 yards in the entire 2023 NFL regular season, down from an average of more than 34 per season from 2001-10 before rule changes to increase player safety started making the kickoff obsolete.

That led to the dramatic change this offseason, with the NFL hoping for a significant increase in the rate of returns from the record-low level of 21.8% last season.

For a standard kickoff, the ball is kicked from the 35-yard line with the 10 kick coverage players lined up at the opposing 40. The return team will have at least nine blockers lined up in the “set up zone” between the 30- and 35-yard line, cutting down on high-speed collisions.

Only the kicker and two returners are allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20.

There have been only 24 touchbacks so far this preseason and an average starting field position at the 29 yard line — compared to the 23.8 at this point last preseason, when 65% of kicks had been returned. The rate of returns typically falls once the season starts and teams aren’t testing out players and schemes in live action, but the 81% rate so far this preseason bodes well for the NFL’s hope that at least half of all kicks will be returned.

There was even some confusion about where to line up with the Raiders and Vikings initially setting up 5 yards too far from the end zone on the opening kickoff of their game before the officials corrected them.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan was even caught off guard on the long return by the Titans. Used to there being little action on kicks, Shanahan was looking at video on a tablet during the return and got in the way of an official, leading to a 15-yard penalty.

“I was expecting a break and when I looked up the ref was behind me and he did a good job avoiding me,” Shanahan said.

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