Darren Rizzi is currently in the running for the New Orleans Saints head coaching vacancy, but he will be a sought after special teams coordinator if he isn’t selected. Ben Johnson wasted no time calling Rizzi after becoming the Chicago Bears head coach, but he’s expected to reunite with Sean Payton on the Denver Broncos staff if the Saints don’t hire him as their own head coach.
The success and return of the kickoff is a great display of why other teams will be calling his phone, as well. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the NFL is pleased with the improvements made to the play in 2024 due to the change of procedure.
It was Rizzi who pushed the procedure through. Instead of the kicking team being allowed to start running with the kicker, they now stand at the 40 yard line and wait for the ball to be kicked before they can run. The result was more kickoff returns, longer returns on average and an increase in touchdowns. Touchbacks were moved up to the 30 yard line rather than the 25. Most importantly, there have been fewer injuries on kickoffs.
It’s interesting to see how Rizzi had the Saints approach this compared to their peers around the league. While they faced the second-most kick returns (57), they allowed the sixth-fewest yards gained per return (26.0). No defense in the NFL started with better average field position than the Saints, too (their own 27.2 yard line). Rizzi bet on his coverage unit stopping the returner short of the touchback marker, and he often won that gamble.
Rizzi’s proactiveness in getting this rule passed reflects well on his special teams acumen and is a reason teams will flock towards him if he hits the market.
