After the league took aim at changing kickoffs a few years ago, we could be getting some tweaks to how NFL teams line up for and execute punts.
When the NFL made changes to the kickoff process, they did so in order to try to make the play safer. That appears to be what the league is looking for as it analyzes punting plays.
According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent says the league will be speaking with special teams coaches about ways to make punts safer. The NFL Competition Committee reportedly already met with safety officials at the scouting combine in Indianapolis today.
“We really need to figure out that play, not just from an injury standpoint [but] penalties as well,” Vincent said, via Maske. “But we have to break that down at every level — every block, every position — to see what we can come up [with] and do the analysis like we did a few years back on kickoffs.”
Vincent: “We really need to figure out that play, not just from an injury standpoint [but] penalties as well. But we have to break that down at every level—every block, every position—to see what we can come up [with] and do the analysis like we did a few years back on kickoffs.”
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) February 28, 2022
Among the changes the NFL instituted for kickoffs were moving the spot of the ball, which in turn increased the number of touchbacks, as well as changing how players could line up and block.
It would be impossible for the league to change the line of scrimmage for punts, but we’ll see this offseason if there are other modifications they can make to try and increase player safety on special teams.
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