Rash of touchbacks is coming, and NFL doesn’t seem to be bothered by it

It has become increasingly clear that the new “dynamic” kickoff will possibly be a dud. We’ve been saying it for months. Bill Belichick said it this week.

The NFL knows it could happen. The NFL seems to be not concerned about it.

During Tuesday’s special meeting that focused on the issue of private equity, the owners received a brief update on the new kickoff formation. There was no conversation about moving the touchback point to the 35 in order to encourage putting the ball in play in lieu of conceding the 30.

And so there’s a chance that the D-word that the NFL uses to describe the new kickoff is less about action on the kick return and more about the dynamic of whether coaches will deliberately choose to bang the ball out of the end zone, like last year.

The reason for the NFL’s nonchalance could be simple. In recent years, the league has tried to engineer fewer kickoff returns, because the best way to make an unsafe play safer is to do it less often. Even if the new formulation of the kickoff is safer, it still entails more risk than a touchback does.

So at least the league attempted to resurrect the play. The league can blame coaches for not leaning into the new approach. And, with all drives starting at the 30 instead of the 25, scoring inevitably will increase.

They sold the new formation to all of us as something that will add some 2,000 plays to the season. Now, as they see that pitch probably missing the strike zone, they’re not scrambling to fix it. They’re content to let it happen.

Again:

1. Fewer kick returns equals enhanced safety.

2. More points equals more excitement.

3. “At least we tried.”