New England; New Rules: How Will Three NFL Changes Affect Patriots?

Among the biggest rules change this season the New England Patriots will have to deal with is on kickoffs.

While the New England Patriots kick-off the second week of Offseason Training Activities (OTAs), the NFL has approved a few notable changes for the upcoming season.

NFL owners met for the annual spring meeting and among the approved proposals is the ability to flex Thursday Night Football games and the "emergency" third quarterback position. However, the biggest change is to kickoffs.

The new rule will give the receiving team the ball at its own 25 with a fair catch of a kickoff anywhere behind that yard line — just as if the kickoff had gone through the end zone. The NFL hopes the change will reduce the risk of injuries, especially concussions, on kickoffs which are typically one of the most dangerous parts of the game.

To help their kicking game, the Pats last month became the first NFL team in 30 years to select both a punter (Bryce Baringer) and a kicker (Chad Ryland) in the same draft. 

The argument against the rule is centered around concerns it pushes the kickoff return further toward irrelevance and will lead to uglier plays with squib and corner kicks.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has concerns about the special teams change. The reigning Super Bowl Champions Chiefs are favorites to again win the Lombardi Trophy but will have to make special teams adjustments like the rest of the league. Reid told reporters last week that he worries about one change will turn into many that will ultimately transform the game in a negative way.

“So you start taking pieces (away), and we’ll see how this goes, but you don’t want to take too many pieces away," Reid said. "You’ll be playing flag football.”

The kickoff rule is a one-year change that will be reevaluated next offseason. Reports suggested that this change had been opposed by a significant number of the league’s special-teams coaches.

With a new-look roster and offensive coordinator, New England looks to rebound from an 8-9 campaign that left them out of the playoffs by adjusting to the internal and external shifts in 2023.

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