Michael David Smith ,
Facebook
Kickoff returns are back in the NFL.
Through five weeks of the 2025 season, 79.5 percent of kickoffs have been returned.
That’s a huge increase as a result of the rule change that spots the ball at the 35-yard line after touchbacks. Last year, when touchbacks were spotted at the 30-yard line, only 32.8 percent of kickoffs were returned, as the kicking team usually booted the ball into the end zone.
And it’s an even bigger increase over 2023, the last year before the NFL adopted the “dynamic” kickoff. In 2023, only 21.8 percent of kickoffs were returned.
When the NFL changed the kickoff rules, the league had two goals: To reduce injuries on kickoffs, and to increase the number of kickoffs that were returned. League injury data says that injuries have indeed decreased, and anyone watching the games can see that returns are way up. As far as the league is concerned, the new rules are a big success.
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