NFL just made kickoffs riskier - Here’s Butker’s plan to beat it

Heading into the 2025-26 NFL season, the league has made some more changes to the kickoff, aiming to improve player safety and increase return opportunities. The rules have made kickoffs quite a bit riskier for the teams performing them tough, in particular for touchbacks. Here’s what’s changing this season:

• Touchbacks are now more costly
  • If the kickoff lands in the end zone and is downed or goes out of bounds, the receiving team starts their drive at the 35-yard line (instead of the 25).
  • This discourages kickers from automatically aiming for touchbacks.
• New alignment rules for return teams
  • The receiving team can only have a maximum of three players in the “setup zone” (the area near the kickoff line but before the ball is kicked).
  • Each of the three setup zones (left, center, right) may have only one player each.
• Onside kick rule expanded
  • Teams can now declare an onside kick at any point during a game, as long as they are trailing.
  • Previously, this was allowed only in the fourth quarter.

These rule changes mean kickers will have to aim for a specific “landing zone” in order to avoid giving up favorable field position. Return teams will have less blocking help up front due to the new setup zone limits. And trailing teams now have a new tool to attempt comebacks earlier in the game with more frequent onside kicks.

Harrison Butker reveals strategy for NFL’s new kickoff rules

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is already adjusting his strategy since the updated rules penalize kickers who send the ball into the end zone and award the receiving team the ball at the 35-yard line.

“No one’s happy if the return team gets the ball out to the 35,” said Butker. “Basically, as a kicker, you don’t want to hit a touchback.”

“So if I can place it in there, have good direction, good hang time on it, and let our kickoff team work, and hopefully stop them inside the 30, it would be great,” he said.

Butker emphasized how much precision is now required and how critical kickoff execution will be in the 2025 season.

“That’s kind of what my job is. So I’ve got to avoid hitting it out of bounds. That would put the ball in the 40. And you hit it in the end zone, that puts the ball in the 35. Nobody’s happy with that. You’ve got to really hit it in the landing zone.”

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