The NFL has made a few changes to the rulebook ahead of the 2023 season. One of them allows kickoff returners to call a fair catch and their team will automatically get the ball at their own 25-yard line.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is one of many who don’t like the new rule. Here’s what Carroll had to say about it last week, per Bob Condotta at the Seattle Times:
“Yeah, I didn’t like the change. Worrying about the game a little bit, but the other side is worrying about the rest of it too. There’s some numbers that maybe we can change and help some people not get injured. It’s really hard to not look in that direction and support it. We’ve got to support our guys and take care of them. That’s the way we voted. But I was battling. We worked really hard at it.”
The league is trying to cut down on concussions and some of the most-violent collisions take place during kickoff returns, when players on both sides have the time to gather full speed before making contact. It may only be a matter of time before kickoffs are legislated out of the game completely.
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