Steelers' Mike Tomlin Warns Of 'Unintended Consequences' With New Kickoff Rules

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the other 31 teams in the NFL will have to adjust to the new league rules in 2024 regarding the kickoff. The league owners have approved massive changes to the play and will follow a similar format to one that originated in the XFL. The league hopes that the new rules will help increase the number of returns that have been dwindling, but also help reduce injuries. The kickoff has been a point of emphasis almost annually at the league meetings. The league made changes to fair catches on kickoffs before the 2023 season, but these new tweaks alter the play even more. 

The new rules for kickoffs in football involve several significant changes. The kickoff team will now have 10 players standing at the receiving team's 40-yard line, while the kicker will still kick from the 35-yard line. The return team will position nine players in the "setup zone" between the 35 and 30-yard lines. The return team can have up to two players in the "landing zone" between the goal line and the 20. Until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone, no player other than the kicker and the returner can move. The new rules eliminate fair catches on kickoffs, and touchbacks will give the returning team the possession on the 30-yard line. Also, surprise onside kicks are no longer allowed. If a team wishes to attempt this move, they must inform the officials and can then try it with a traditional NFL kickoff.

Mike Tomlin is a member of the NFL Competition Committee that discusses rule changes annually. He welcomes modifications that reduce injuries, but warns of possible unintended repercussions. Tomlin spoke at the NFL's Annual League Meetings in Orlando, FL, and via posts on X from Washington Post NFL writer Mark Maske, provided insight on the changes. 

"The unintended consequences are probably the meat of the discussion," Tomlin said on Monday. "Body types might change. How is it going to affect field positioning and, thus, scoring? Roster building, the importance of the return man if this thing goes through the way that it is." 

Pittsburgh used a few different players as their returners in the 2023 season. Anthony McFarland Jr. got the job initially, but injuries limited him to playing only three games. He averaged 27.33 yards per return on six attempts. Desmond King got a chance to showcase his return ability during his brief stint in Pittsburgh as well. The former Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans cornerback returned four kicks, averaging 22 yards. 

Godwin Igwebuike took over as the main kick returner after tryouts for McFarland and King. He averaged 25.64 yards on 11 returns in the 2023 season, but most notably took advantage of a kickoff rule that helped the team gain a field position advantage and was praised by Tomlin for it.   

Steelers' Tomlin Says Safety Is Paramount On Changes To Kickoff Rules

The NFL has been striving for decades to make kickoffs safer. The modifications to the rules have led to a higher percentage of touchbacks, and a decrease in the total number of concussions. However, the changes did not affect the rate of concussions on kickoffs, as the increase in touchbacks reduced the total number of returns. In contrast, the XFL saw more than 90% of kicks returned in two seasons under similar rules. According to ESPN, NFL special teams coaches involved in making the rule changes aim to achieve an 80% mark for returned kicks. 

According to a post by ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor, Tomlin stated on Sunday that the frequent consideration of changes to the kickoff rules is aimed at improving player safety. The previous design of the kickoff resulted in many high-impact collisions. The proposed changes are intended to reduce the risk of injury by preventing players from running at each other at full speed.

"It seems like just about every year we're talking about the kickoff -- or every other year we're talking about the kickoff in some form or fashion. I just think that it really illustrates our desire to make the game safer from a player perspective, and so a lot of the changes have centered around concussion and head injury, but more recently and particularly with this discussion is less about concussions, and more just about the injury rate, various types of injury."

The league will try the new kickoff rules for a year, and then in 2025, when it's time to meet up again, will discuss the results from the season. It seems like a pretty drastic change to the game, but might help to save a dying play.