2024 NFL kickoff rule change

I foresee a lot of trickery
in the near future.

Some teams are loaded with good players on ST now, and others might take a few years to upgrade ST. The Cardinals have some tough choices to make later this summer. Guys who can play multiple positions on O/D/ST will make the 53-man roster and PS. ST will get a lot more attention from the GM and HC.

It will be interesting to see how this ST KO change shortens the field for the O and affects the D. We live in interesting times.

My understanding is the kicking team players can’t start running until the ball touches the ground or a player.

The obvious question is with two receivers is the ability for the one not catching being able to move into a better blocking position while ball is in the air.

Many comments about the new rule could change the body type for some roster members.

Who do you guys think could excel as a returner on our roster. Yesterday on the radio they were discussing this with a national NFL reporter, and none of them seemed to have a grasp of it. Small, fast guy like Dortch? A fast, twitchy RB built guy who can lay hits and be hard to take down? They won’t have to worry about taking an instant hit so will focus on securing the ball and then heading north-south imo. And you MUST have a kicker who can consistently place the ball in the “landing zone” (end zone to the 20) with enough touch to not let it bounce out the back of the end zone. Kickoff specialists will not be guys who can boom deep kicks, but can place balls precisely, with spin and touch and difficult to secure balls. Returners IMO will have to have 1) great hands, 2) fast and great at using their blockers, 3) be great in open space, and 4) be able to lay a hit or stiff-arm at first contact and not go down easily. Finally, they will have to be smart enough to not touch a ball that will touch earth before the 20 yard line (ensuring a ball at the 40!) and to recognize a ball that will hit beyond the end zone (ball at 35). All kicks landing in landing zone must be returned. Situational awareness will be HUGE! It really is going to make special teams the legit third leg of a successful team.

The difference between a great returner and a bad one will be 100 yards of field position a game!

I had thought DeeJay Dallas and Greg Dortch are the two players being lined up for this role. With two on the field at Kick-Off, presumably one either side of the field, then the one catching and returning will significantly depend upon where the ball should fall?

If a team secures a real good returner, then this could be a big advantage. - I think the 'three specialists' (kicker/punter/long-snapper) could now morph into four. - I have never liked the idea of a teams premier WR, CB or RB taking on the return function, as the risks of injury doing this are too high. Assuming all goes to plan, then the returners will be carrying the egg back a lot, so their contribution, hence value, will be enhanced.

I am now factoring the kick-return requirement into our overall roster make-up. Should it be Dallas and Dortch, then I would expect to see a 26-24 (Offense-Defense) split. - A discussion to be had for another day, but there is a knock-on consequence for places on the roster, so here is an example for the Offense -

Four Running Backs, but to include Dallas, who may not see the field other than on ST's: Such would leave it likely Demercardo loses out on a place.
Four Tight Ends: to reflect a potential high usage of 2-TE sets
*Five or six Wide Receivers; with Dortch having specific limited roles on the Offense.

I think we should go with all three Quarterbacks, hence that would leave nine or ten from the Offensive Line.

* The conundrum here is whether to go with 5 WR's (including Dortch and his ST duties) with ten on the line, or 6 WR's with nine on the line.

Early Days conjecture, but I thought worth punting it out there; you may wish to chew on the likely repercussion of all of this over the summer.