The NFL held its Spring League Meeting this week, where there were some new rules put into effect for the 2023 season.
One of those involved a new element when it comes to kickoff returns. Teams will be allowed to start at their own 25-yard line if they elect to fair-catch a kickoff inside the 25. If you watch college football, it’s the exact same rule in effect.
The rule is the latest to help promote player safety. But it could also mean less of the thrilling plays that fans have come to expect, and no one knows that better than Bears fans after watching Devin Hester cement himself as the greatest returner in NFL history.
While the expectation is we’ll see less returns, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus doesn’t see it that way.
“I think it will change tactically what teams are going to do because the rule is in now,” Eberflus said. “There’s nothing you can do about it. But it will change. I think we’ll get more squib kicks. I think you’ll get more drop kicks, more drive kicks, those types of things, and make guys return it. I suspect you’ll see more returns than less. That’s just what I’m thinking about right now, but we’ll see what happens.”
The Bears have had some of the most electrifying return specialists in NFL history, including Hester, Gale Sayers and Cordarrelle Patterson. It’s hard to stomach the idea that one of the most exciting elements of the game could become obsolete.
