Harrison Butker has been the talk of the sports world for several weeks over the last month, with speculation that he may miss kickoff as the Kansas City Chiefs begin offseason activities (OTAs).
It’s not because of anything he said or did, but because of a new NFL rule that has special teams coordinator Dave Toub intrigued.
In March, NFL owners agreed to overhaul kickoff rules to follow the example of the XFL.
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Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker speaks to the media ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl at the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa on February 8, 2024 in Henderson, Nevada. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
In a basic kickoff, the ball is kicked from the 35-yard line and the other 10 members of the special teams line up at the opposing team’s 40. Five players line up on each side of the field.
The return team must have at least nine blockers in the so-called “setup zone” between the 30 and 35 yard lines, with at least seven of the blockers touching the 35 yard line. Two returners may be within their own 20 yard line.
Only the kicker and the two returners are allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner within the 20-yard line. A kick that reaches the end zone in the air can be returned or the returner can choose to have a touchback, in which case the team receives the ball at the 30-yard line. If the ball goes outside the end zone, it is a touchback at the 30-yard line.
If the ball hits the returner or the ground short of the end zone and goes into the end zone, a touchback may be made or the kick may be returned at the 20-yard line.
Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) kicks the ball during a game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Noam Hall/Getty Images)
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The Chiefs have used defensive back Justin Reed as a kicker in the past, and Toub acknowledged Thursday that they are considering doing so again.
“You want a guy who can go back and tackle. Butker can tackle, but you don’t want him to be making tackles all year,” Toub said, noting that last year’s XFL kickers were involved in tackling returners.
“Justin can cover, he can kick, and he can go out there and make a tackle. Maybe he’s an extra guy that they don’t account for. They know he can go out there and make a tackle, but a guy like Justin is a guy that they have to worry about. They have to block him and they have to give up blocking somebody else. That’s what the idea is all about.”
Kansas City Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub during training camp at Missouri Western State University on Aug. 7, 2022, in St. Joseph, Missouri. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Butker was the hero in the Chiefs’ 2024 Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers when he made a 29-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.
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