The NFL changed the kickoff rules earlier this offseason with the hope of revitalizing a portion of football that was slowly dying. Miami Dolphins return specialist Braxton Berrios couldn’t be happier about it.
“I love it. I think it brings back a really exciting play in a game where it was kind of eliminated the last few years,” Berrios told reporters Tuesday. “So I’m very excited, because I think it’s a big part of the game and a part that I love to do. So yeah, I want those [return] percentages as high as possible.”
In 2023, kickoffs resulted in touchbacks 73 percent of the time. In 17 regular season games, the Dolphins recorded only 18 kickoff returns.
That will likely change in 2024 with rule changes that incentive kicking teams to try to pin the opponent deep. Most importantly, if the kickoff reaches the end zone in the air, a touchback pushes the ball all the way to the 30-yard line.
Here’s what the new NFL kickoff will look like this season: pic.twitter.com/vtR5bqGZLK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 26, 2024
Berrios, 28, earned All-Pro honors as a returner in 2021 when he averaged a league-best 30.4 yards per kick return while with the New York Jets. With the rule changes potentially making the return game much more valuable, Berrios said he and special teams coordinator Danny Crossman are already coming up with ideas for the 2024 season.
“[We’ve] just been bouncing off each other, strategies, what we think might happen, what we can see happening, what we think is the best way to go about it,” Berrios said. “I think Week 1 is going to be – that opening kickoff of the season is going to be very interesting all across the board.
“I don’t think we’ll see much in preseason. I think everybody is going to pop it up and let your cover guys cover and see who can block on the return team. And I think Week 1 is going to be … everybody’s going to think they have the ace of cards up their sleeves. So I really truly don’t know what to expect.”
Berrios averaged 24.5 yards on 18 kickoff returns in 2023 and 10.2 yards on 23 punt returns. In March, he re-signed with the Dolphins on a one-year deal.
