The Kansas City Chiefs are considering removing kicker Harrison Butker from kickoff duties for next season. But the decision has nothing to do with recent controversial comments during a commencement speech that made him a recent national story.
New rules implemented in March dictate that any ball kicked in the “landing zone” from the goal line to the 20-yard line must be returned. No more fair catches. Balls that bounce from the landing zone into the end zone must be returned or knocked down for a touchback.
Creating more action with actual returns could increasingly put kickers in a position where they have to tackle during a kickoff return. As Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub explained while speaking to reporters at OTAs on Friday, their strategy will be to get the ball to the ground away from the opponent’s kick returner, allowing defenders to chase before Someone picks up the ball.
More importantly, Toub noted that the new rules and subsequent strategy, which the XFL has been using, have the kicker involved in making a tackle more frequently.
“If you look at the XFL, we watched every play,” Toub said. “I bet the kickers were involved in probably at least 25 to 40% of the tackles, you know, either trying to get a player to recover or making the tackle itself or just missing the tackle.”
Under those circumstances, Toub doesn’t want Butker to have to make tackles frequently during the season. Fortunately for the Chiefs, they are already prepared to address this situation with safety Justin Reid as the emergency kicker.
Fans may remember Reid filling in as the kicker during Kansas City’s Week 1 game against the Arizona Cardinals during the 2022-23 season for seven kickoffs (with five touchbacks) and two extra points.
Toub added that Reid should improve his kickoff coverage. Not only is he accustomed to chasing and tackling as a safety, but the opposing team cannot direct a return toward a typical kicker who may not be able to make a play against blockers and ball carriers.
“Justin can cover. I mean, he can kick, he can, and then he can go down and make tackles,” Toub said. “You know, he’s an extra guy they’re probably not taking into account. I mean, they know that guy can attack, but a guy like Justin is a guy they have to worry about. You’ve got to get him.” “He blocked and you have to stop blocking someone else.”
How other NFL teams handle the new kickoff rules when they are not as well-equipped for the situation as the Chiefs will certainly be something intriguing to monitor in the upcoming season.