Owners approve major overhaul for kickoffs

ORLANDO, Fla. — Kickoff returns are returning to the NFL.

Team owners on Tuesday approved a new rule that will take what essentially had become “a dead play” and make it an integral part of the game again.

“We feel this is a great day for the NFL,” said Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who was heavily involved in creating the framework for the new hybrid kickoff.

The major overhaul to special teams — which has been in the works for years — takes elements of the kickoff rules used in the XFL and tweaks them for use in the NFL beginning in 2024. The rule will be in play for one season on a trial basis and then be subject to renewal in 2025.

NFL Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay said the new rule passed by a 29-3 to vote.

McKay said there was urgency to vote on this rule before the draft because it could impact the way teams structure rosters. There were 1,970 touchbacks on kickoffs last season that now could be returns. There were 92 fair catches last season that are no longer allowed. Any ball caught in the field of play must be returned.

“The kickoff returners’ value is gonna skyrocket,” Cowboys special teams coach John Fassel said.

For a standard kickoff, the ball would be kicked from the 35-yard line with the 10 kick coverage players lined up at the opposing 40, with five on each side of the field.

The return team would have at least nine blockers lined up in the “set up zone” between the 30- and 35-yard line, with at least seven of those players touching the 35. There would be up to two returners allowed inside the 20.

Only the kicker and two returners would be allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or was touched by a returner inside the 20.

Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air can be returned, or the receiving team can opt for a touchback and possession at the 30. Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air and goes out of bounds or out of the end zone also would result in a touchback at the 30.

If a ball hits a returner or the ground before the end zone and goes into the end zone, a touchback would be at the 20 or the play could be returned.

Owners also voted to move the trade deadline back one week to the Tuesday following the end of Week 9.

Lions say staff urged Sutton to surrender

Cameron Sutton was in the Detroit Lions’ Allen Park training facility when the team learned of a domestic violence warrant issued for the defensive back in Florida.

Lions President Rod Wood told WJBK-TV Fox 2 on Monday that team staffers spoke to the 29year-old Sutton, 29, at the time and advised him to turn himself into authorities.

“We learned about the warrant at the same time everybody else did on social media,” Wood told the station. “We were able to speak to Cam because he was actually in our building. We found him. He was down with our strength staff. He kind of showed up unexpectedly to work out.”

The Lions released Sutton on March 21 after news of the warrant surfaced.

Odds and ends

Owners also approved Daniel “Cal” McNair as the new principal owner of the Houston Texans. McNair, who was previously the team’s CEO/chair, is now the team’s official representative, replacing his mother Janice McNair, who had served in the role since 2018 after her husband and team founder Bob McNair passed away . ... The New York Giants hired recently retired offensive lineman James Ferentz as an assistant offensive line coach.