Last year, the NFL decided to move kickoffs from the 30-yard-line to the 35. With that, there was a significant increase in touchbacks that year. Now the NFL may take it a step further, as they may actually eliminate kickoffs altogether.
“We had a lot of discussions about whether we should eliminate it and if we did what we could do in its place,” New York Giants owner John Mara told the team's official website. “There’s no consensus on it right now, but I could see the day in the future where that play could be taken out of the game. You see it evolving toward that.”
The NFL plans to keep the league safer due to the rise of concussions now. Mara says that the NFL won't remove the kickoffs until they officially have the right plan in doing so. However, he does see it happening soon just for the sake of players' health.
“Nobody would go that far now, but we talk about different blocks that we can outlaw,” Mara said. “The problem is that the concussions come from everywhere, from the wedge, from the crossing blocks where a guy goes from one side of the field to another, from a full speed collision between a return guy and a tackler. So there’s no one thing that you can do. It’s something that we’ll continue to watch as closely as possible.”
This may worry me, though. I just don't think it should happen, as it could ruin the league altogether. If the NFL wants to start a flag-football league, then so do it.
But taking away the kickoff, which is a vital part of the game, just seems to unnecessary.
