The NFL is shaking things up this year with its new kickoff rules.
After witnessing how kickoffs work in the XFL, the NFL will try to execute the same kind of operation.
This means that kickers might need to bulk up given the fact they will be the only ones standing in the way of the return man and the end zone if he breaks through the first line.
Legendary kicker Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens has reportedly gained 3.8 pounds so far this offseason in an effort to prepare for “increased contact” on kickoffs.
#Ravens kicker Justin Tucker reveals he has gained 3.8 pounds during the offseason to prepare for “increased contact” due to the new kickoff rule.
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(Via @LIVERavenNation) pic.twitter.com/XnvJHJ6D6R
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) June 9, 2024
The basic guidelines for the new kickoff rules are quite interesting.
Most notably, the return team’s blockers and the kickoff team will line up within a couple of yards of each other in the receiving team’s territory.
They will only be able to move once the ball is received by the returner.
That leaves only the kicker if the return man can indeed break through a hole in the line.
It is hard to find a better kicker in history than the eight-time All-Pro in Tucker, who has been doing his thing for over a decade in Baltimore.
Plus, his head coach in John Harbaugh made his mark as a special teams coordinator before becoming a head coach.
It would be stunning if they were not one of the more prepared teams in the league with the new rules coming into play.
But, Tucker’s decision to bulk up is a wise call given the possible physicality and tackling that will be involved on a lot of the kickoffs.
