The NFL almost killed kickoffs and kickoff returns in 2024 with a massive rule change.
They brought it back to life in 2025 with a few minor tweaks, leading to the highest rate of returned kicks in the last 19 years.
Some teams are adapting — using an unpredictable “knuckleball kick” or “dirty kick” to make returning the ball difficult.
Some teams are not, like the Denver Broncos. Their defense has been the one paying for the resistance of head coach Sean Payton and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi to make the necessary changes.
“The resistance for the Broncos is to using the knuckleball kick that is sweeping the league and everybody else has been trying … the Broncos really aren’t trying at all,” All 32’s Brett Kollman said on “The Mina Kimes Show Featuring Lenny” on October 2. “And I think as of last week, they were the second worst average starting field position on defense after kickoffs.
“But basically every time they kick the ball off, because they’re not using any of these knuckleball kicks or dirty kicks, they’re just making the returns more manageable. And so their defense has to carry an extra 10 to 15 yards of burden as far as field position because their special teams unit is not helping them out.”
Kimes laid it out in even plainer terms.
“I’m sorry, but if you don’t practice enough not to mess that up, you deserve to be punished,” Kimes said. “It’s not that hard to avoid doing.”
Headed into a Week 5 road game against the Philadelphia Eagles, who are executing on special teams as well as anyone in the NFL right now, that could spell bad news for Denver.
Payton Weighted In On Kickoff Changes
Payton spoke with ESPN’s Kevin Seifert about the sea change that’s occurred with NFL kickoffs from last season to this season — his comments are actually some of the more interesting and insightful about the subject.
Which makes his team’s reticence to evolve so much more confusing.
“Additional effects are likely looming but haven’t materialized yet,” Seifert wrote on October 2. Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said in September that he expected scoring to increase if teams were able to consistently achieve higher return averages and set up better field position … Payton also predicted that teams will begin rethinking their decisions when they win the opening coin flip. Instead of deferring possession to the second half, as most teams do, they might accept the ball. If that team takes possession between the 30- and 35-yard line and then doesn’t gain a yard, in a worst-case scenario, a punt would likely pin the opposing team in worse field position than if it had received the kickoff to start.”
The Broncos were 10th in the NFL with 70 touchbacks in 2024. Through the first 4 games of 2025, they’re on pace to finish 2025 with just 16 touchbacks.
“This Eagles Broncos game is going to come down to these two units,” former NFL linebacker Chad Brown wrote on X. “In the biggest situations in the game which one steps up and which one shoots themselves in the foot? Looking forward to watching all the great match-ups and battles.”
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