The New England Patriots were one of five teams that voted against a new touchback rule, which will allow the receiving team to start automatically at the 25-yard line after a fair catch, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer.
The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions were the other teams that reportedly voted against the proposed rule change.
The interesting thing about this rule is that it was only approved for the 2023 season. That would have given it a chance to be re-evaluated in 2024, according to a report from NESN’s Zack Cox.
The vote on the kickoff touchback rule was 26-5-1, per sources. The Ravens, Patriots, Bengals, Bears and Lions voted against it, and the Raiders abstained. The proposal wasn't close to passing Monday. Roger Goodell lobbied hard for it overnight, and flipped a bunch of teams.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 24, 2023
This rule could be a major shift in the special teams aspect of the game as we know it. One has to wonder if the Patriots will shift their line of thinking for 2024.
