The NFL wanted more kickoffs to actually be returned this season, and one week in, the numbers show the change is working.
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According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, 118 of 156 kickoffs in Week 1 were returned — a rate of 75.6 percent. That is the highest single-week return rate since 2010 and the first time more than half of kicks were returned in an opening week since that same season.
The overhaul comes after the league's return rate cratered to just 21.8 percent in 2023, despite a rule tweak that bumped touchbacks out to the 30-yard line. Owners doubled down this offseason, moving touchbacks to the 35 in hopes of making "booming it into the end zone" a less appealing option.
So far, so good. Titans rookie Chimere Dike leads all players with an average of 36 yards per return, and he is likely to have plenty of chances to keep padding that number.
The NFL made the dynamic kickoff structure permanent this spring after seeing concussion rates drop by 43 percent on kickoff plays in 2024. But the new touchback placement might be the real game-changer.
Last year, when teams kicked balls that were returned, the average drive started at the 28.8-yard line. Spotting the ball at the 30 for a touchback was no big deal for coaches. Now? With touchbacks at the 35, special teams coordinators are thinking twice.
Broncos assistant Darren Rizzi, who helped design the rule, put it simply: "I don't think teams are just going to give up [nearly] 7 yards."
The numbers back him up. Per ESPN Research, drives starting at the 30 have averaged 1.97 points over the past decade. At the 35, that number jumps to 2.21 — a 12 percent increase. In a league built on fine margins, that's too much free real estate for teams to concede.
Bottom line? The NFL wanted kickoffs back in play, and in Week 1, fans got exactly that.
