For your consideration: new Kick off rules

[oldtimer 8,683]

Chiefs' Harrison Butker may be removed from kickoffs due to new NFL rules

Kansas City already had safety Justin Reid as the team's emergency kicker

The Kansas City Chiefs are considering taking kicker Harrison Butker off kickoff duties for the upcoming season. But the decision has nothing to do with recent controversial remarks during a commencement speech that made recent national headlines

The new rules implemented in March dictate that any ball kicked into the "landing zone" from the goal line to the 20-yard line must be returned. No more fair catches. Balls that bounce from the landing zone into the end zone must either be returned or downed for a touchback.

Creating more action with actual returns could increasingly put kickers in a position where they have to tackle during a kickoff return. As Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub explained while speaking to reporters at OTAs on Thursday, their strategy will be to get the ball on the ground away from the opponent's kick returner, allowing defenders to pursue before someone picks up the ball.

More importantly, Toub noted that the new rules and subsequent strategy, which the XFL has been using, gets the kicker involved in making a tackle more often.

"If you watch the XFL, we watched every play," Toub said. "I bet kickers were involved in probably at least 25 to 40% of the tackles, you know, either trying to make a guy bounce back or making the tackle itself or just missing the tackle."

Under those circumstances, Toub doesn't want Butker frequently having to make tackles throughout the season. Fortunately for the Chiefs, they're already set up to address this situation with safety Justin Reid as the emergency kicker.

Fans may remember Reid filling in at kicker during Kansas City's Week 1 game versus the Arizona Cardinals during the 2022-23 season for seven kickoffs (with five touchbacks) and two extra points.

Toub added that Reid should make kickoff coverage better. Not only is he accustomed to pursuing and tackling as a safety, but opposing team can't direct a return toward a typical kicker who might not be able to make a play against blockers and ballcarriers.

"Justin can cover. I mean, he could kick, he can, and then he can go down there and make tackles," said Toub. "You know, he’s an extra guy that they’re probably not accounting for. I mean, they know that that guy can go down to tackle, but a guy like Justin is a guy that they have to worry about. You have to get him blocked and you have to give up blocking somebody else."

How other NFL teams handle the new kickoff rules when they're not as well equipped for the situation as the Chiefs will certainly be something intriguing to monitor this coming season.

[mex 65,580]

They have also been looking at LRZ for kickoff duties.

[mex 65,580]

Kansas City Chiefs running back Louis Rees-Zammit, who joined the Chiefs this offseason via the International Pathway Program (IPP), has an uphill battle to make the team’s 2024 regular season roster.

But according to Chiefs special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Dave Toub, Rees-Zammit is already getting reps as a starter on special teams.

 

“Louis has done above and beyond what I expected. He can kick field goals… he can be a kickoff guy for us. He’s every bit as good as Justin (Reid) [when it comes to] moving the football and stuff like that on kickoffs. He’s really working hard on the [kick] returner job. I’ve got him in as the starter right now so he can get in as many reps as he can. But he’s a student of the game — he comes in after every practice, he wants to be great — he’s a great athlete.”

Though Toub admitted that Rees-Zammit has a long way to go mentality-wise since he has just begun playing football, it appears that the former rugby star’s athleticism has already proven to be a potential asset on kick returns as the Chiefs try to morph based on the NFL’s new kickoff rules.

Louis Rees-Zammit: a Former Welsh Rugby Star

It doesn’t take much time while watching Rees-Zammit’s rugby highlights to understand why the Chiefs signed him.

Rees-Zammit, 23, stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 194 pounds. What stands out about the Wales native when watching his rugby tape is his quickness and long speed for his size, and all of that is blended with tackle-breaking ability. His speed showed up again during his IPP Pro Day when he ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, per the Associated Press on March 22, though he said afterward he was disappointed with that time and believes he can run low 4.3s, high 4.2s.

 

Related video: Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub talks about new kickoff rules (KMBC Kansas City)

It's it's it's going to change a lot.

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Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub talks about new kickoff rules

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He has now given up a very successful rugby career to pursue a career in the NFL through the IPP. At the 2024 IPP Pro Day, Rees-Zammit ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, per the Associated Press on March 22, though he said afterward he was disappointed with that time and believes he can run low 4.3s, high 4.2s.

Rees-Zammit will not count against Kansas City’s 90-man roster or the team’s practice squad due to the IPP roster exemption, which is the main reason why he is essentially a risk-free addition for the Chiefs. Rees-Zammit comes at a very low cost (three years, $2.8 million, per Over The Cap) and does not take up a roster space.

If Rees-Zammit performs exceptionally this upcoming season, whether it be on offense or special teams, the Chiefs will have found themselves a diamond in the rough via the IPP. But if he can’t transfer his talents from the rugby pitch to an NFL field, then Kansas City can cut ties with him and suffer minimally from it.

 

 

 

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Andy Reid Talks About Louis Rees-Zammit

Speaking to the media on April 15, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid discussed what the team’s plan is for Rees-Zammit as he embarks on a potential career in the NFL with the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.

“He (Louis Rees-Zammit) was introduced to this when he was young because his dad played six years in the European League (English Football League) and so he’s somewhat familiar with the sport,” Reid explained during his press conference. “He sure has had a lot of success with rugby and there are some similarities there, it’s a contact sport, he’s had to catch the ball and do those things and run with the ball. We’ll start him off at the running back position, get him to feel comfortable with that going forward here. He’s had an opportunity to also go down there to Dallas and work with Pat (Mahomes) and so again, he’ll get used to some of these calls and through our Zooms, the plays and then we’ll just see where it goes from there.

 

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“Dave (Toub) will have an opportunity to have him on special teams and see where that goes” Reid continued. “That’s not an easy transition but he seems to be wired…. he’s been playing competitive rugby professionally since he was 17 years old. He’s sitting there at 23 years old, he’s had a pretty good career with that and kind of understands the professional game and the mindset of playing at a professional level.”

[robgar 1,046]

that high 4.2 low 4..3 range much more matches his on field rugby speed, than his 40 tiime does.. which is a rather insane 24.5 mph 

23.5 is the fastest hill achieved during a game. just to let  you all know... and again that 24.5 would beat the fastest on field speed of the last several years. 

he is also used to bone jarring hits... he's big, and fast, I dont mean sortta fast  6'3 210  .. and i'm betting he can catch the ball.. 

he is gonna have some things to learn.. 

but... I kinda believe.. thats your H Back. and kick returner, and maybe kicker. 

[oldtimer 8,683]

watching the Card v Donk game..teams are just kicking it in the endzone and giving the ball at the 30. It seems avg return is the 28/29  anyway so why give up the chance of a big play?? Announcers where talking how the kicking team will be more inclined to be fooled by end arounds etc

[Burpo The Mad Clown 5,554]

Meh 

[Lamardirts 2,114]

Toub won't but we should.  Our team should eliminate any crazy way a inferior team could get points or gain momentum.   

[oldtimer 8,683]

6 hours ago, Lamardirts said:

Toub won't but we should.  Our team should eliminate any crazy way a inferior team could get points or gain momentum.   

is it really Toub's call?

[reesebobby 5,661]

Terrible 

[oldtimer 8,683]

a non issue it seems except if you take into consideration wear and tear on the players..meh