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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Last season’s Super Bowl featured just about everything.
There were trick plays, clutch performances and plenty of high drama as Kansas City rallied for a 25-22 overtime win against San Francisco.
The one thing missing — a single kickoff return.
All 13 kickoffs went for touchbacks, marking the first Super Bowl ever without a kickoff return and providing the final impetus for the NFL to approve one of its most significant rules changes in years by completely overhauling the kickoff.
The new kickoff rule that did lead to a reduction in the rate of injuries and an increase in returns gets the opportunity to appear on the highest-profile stage on Sunday when the Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.
“It’s kind of brought a new life to it,” Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay said. “Gives us something to coach off of, kind of go back to the drawing board and kind of get creative with our ideas.”
The new rule — called the “dynamic kickoff” — was implemented with the hopes of decreasing injuries by limiting the high-speed collisions and incentivizing returns after the rate of returns fell to an all-time low of 21.8% last season.
For the uninitiated, the new setup looks odd at first with the kicker alone at his 35 and his 10 coverage players lined up at the opposing 40. The return team has at least nine blockers lined up in the “setup zone” between the 30- and 35-yard line with at least seven of those players touching the 35. Up to two returners are allowed inside the 20.
Only the kicker and two returners will be allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20.
Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air can be returned, or the receiving team can opt for a touchback and possession at the 30. Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air and goes out of bounds or out of the end zone also will result in a touchback at the 30.
According to the NFL, the change led to 332 more returns in 2024 with the return rate increasing to 32.8%. There were also 59 returns of at least 40 yards, the most in the league since 2016, and seven TD returns. The concussion rate fell 43% from the previous three years and there were the fewest lower-extremity strains on kick return plays since 2018.
The return rate has increased to 45.1% in the postseason, but that might be based more on the difficulty of kicking deep in cold weather, which won’t be an issue with the Super Bowl set to be played in a dome.
For the regular season, both teams had about one-sixth of their kicks reach the landing zone requiring a return with the Chiefs at 17.2% and the Eagles at 16.5%. Philadelphia’s rate increased to 43.5% in the playoffs which was a function of weather more than strategy of trying to stop the opposition before the 30.
“We want to minimize any of the risk that can possibly happen,” Clay said. “We’re just trying to eliminate any added variables that get us in trouble.”
The rule was adopted on a one-year trial and could be altered or eliminated this offseason. Kansas City special teams coach Dave Toub has liked the rule in general but would be in favor of at least one change to increase the rate of returns even more.
“If we move touchbacks to the 35 there will be a lot more returns,” he said.
The kick returns have played a key role for both Philadelphia and Kansas City on the way to the Super Bowl.
The Eagles’ coverage units have generated two takeaways, forcing a fumble on the opening kick of a wild-card win against Green Bay and again in the NFC title game against Washington. Kenneth Gainwell also had a 44-yard return in the divisional round against the Rams.
Nikko Remigio set the tone for the Chiefs when he returned the opening kick in their first playoff game in the divisional round against Houston 63 yards to set up a score.
“The guys like it,” Clay said. “They’ve embraced it and they just want to do anything to help this team advance as far as possible.”
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