Bears open to joining unorthodox trend following NFL’s new starting rules originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
While kickers usually handle the starting job, that could change for NFL teams this upcoming season, including the Bears.
“Anyone with a helmet who can kick off is always in play,” Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. Professional football talk.
Why?
The NFL new start ruleswhich will see action for the first time next season, has motivated teams to change their kick-off strategies.
The new kickoff format begins with the kicker alone on his 35-yard line. He is required to kick the ball into the “landing zone”, which begins at the opponent’s 20-yard line. All other plays line up on the 40 and 30 yard lines, facing each other. Once the ball is fielded, players can start hitting live.
The expectation is that the new rule will generate more returns, that is, more chances of touchdowns. So special teams coordinators are figuring out the best way to optimize returns and also defend them.
That’s where being selective with the kicker comes in. Typically, kickers are placeholders on the defensive end, rarely capable of making tackles as the last line of defense. With the new rules in place, this becomes more vital to prevent staff from returning.
The Chiefs are considering allowing safety Justin Reid to punt the ball for the opening kickoff. Because Reid is a last-resort defender on defense, the Chiefs would rather have him be the last line of defense on kickoffs than Harrison Butker.
The Bears are considering something similar. And while they haven’t made any decisions yet, Hightower suggested that kickoff Cairo Santos could continue kickoffs, or rookie punter Tory Taylor. Teams just need to make sure their chosen player can consistently kick the ball into the landing zone.
It’s a strange and difficult decision to make. And it will probably come with a little trial and error. But Hightower understands the Bears are not alone in this situation.
“The rest of the league needs to figure this out,” Hightower said.
