(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
The Pro Football Hall of Fame preseason game between the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans gave football fans their first taste of pigskin as they wait impatiently for the regular season to start, but it also was the first time fans got to see the NFL’s new kickoff format on display.
FOX Sports host Colin Cowherd is a fan of the change and defended the new format following the game.
On “The Herd,” Cowherd compared the new kickoff rule to one of the biggest rule changes in NBA history.
“It looks a little odd. It’ll take some getting used to. So did the 3-point line,” Cowherd said.
.@ColinCowherd defends NFL’s new kickoff rule:
“It looks a little odd. It’ll take some getting used to. So did the three-point line.” pic.twitter.com/H1OLj3WofH
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 2, 2024
The NFL took inspiration from the XFL with the new kickoff format with the intention of reducing injuries while at the same time increasing the number of kickoff returns. Only 22 percent of kickoffs were returned last season, the lowest rate in NFL history.
The NFL said it is looking to get that number to over 50 percent. By comparison, the XFL saw 97 percent of its kickoffs returned under this format.
Cowherd spoke about how resistant people are to change, but so many sports have made controversial decisions that have aged incredibly well, namely the 3-point line in basketball.
Seven of eight kickoffs were returned in the Hall of Fame game, which is a great sign that teams will get to be more aggressive instead of taking a knee or watching the ball sail out of the end zone on nearly every kickoff.
It definitely will take some time getting used to, but overall, this rule change seems to be well-received so far.
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