Why don't they just eliminate the kickoff if they don't want people returning kicks?
That rule change in itself would have EXTENDED Dri Archer's career. We as STEELERS fans should be humbled as to how many rules changes were due to a certain STEELERS player. Live on Dri,........Live on
Salute the nation
So now that we FINALLY have a kicker who can kick out the back of the end zone . . .bah, the game wasn't broke until they tried to fix it!
Here is an idea I heard on NFL radio's Moving the Chains today: if the concern is injury why not have the kickoff be a free kick from the 45 yard line. All players (except 1 returner) must line up on the line of scrimmage. If you want to do an on-sides kick then you can kick from a tee, but no faking, you must do the on-sides kick.
If this was their intent, it may backfire. Now instead of kickers drilling it deep into if not out of the endzone, I think more teams will try to get air under it and drop it between the goal line and 5. Making it a gamble you can stop the returner short of the 25, as opposed to giving it to them there.
So, what i wrote above i heard on the way to work. I heard the 2nd hour on the way home and it evolved into this: Kicking team punts the ball from their 40 yard line. Regular punt, not a free kick, meaning the punt could actually be blocked. The kicking team could also run a fake. If a fake is ran, they HAVE to gain 10 yards to get the ball back.