Donald Trump may hate the NFL’s revamped kickoff, but Chiefs coordinator Dave Toub says the feeling isn’t mutual. In his view, Trump doesn’t even understand the rule he’s complaining about.
Asked about Trump’s take during a presser on Thursday, Toub decided to unload on the 47th president.
“He doesn’t even know what he’s looking at,” Toub said in a clip shared on X/Twitter. “He has no idea what’s going on with the kickoff rule. So take that for what it’s worth. And I hope he hears it.”
Trump spoke about his disdain for the NFL’s new kickoff rule during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN on Nov. 11.
Asked which sporting event he’d still like to attend, Trump gave a wandering answer, bragging about bringing the World Cup and the Olympics to the U.S.
Then, somehow, after falsely claiming that there was a little “hanky panky” in the 2020 election, he jumped into the NFL’s kickoff rule.
“I do have to say, and I’ll probably get myself in a little trouble, but I hate the kickoff in football,” Trump said to McAfee’s dismay. “I think it’s so terrible. I think it’s so demeaning, and I think it hurts the game, it hurts the pageantry. I told that to (NFL Commissioner) Roger Goodell, and I don’t think it’s any safer. You still have guys crashing into each other.”
Under the NFL’s “Dynamic Kickoff” rule, the kicker still boots from the 35-yard line, but the rest of the coverage team lines up on the receiving team’s 40.
The return team must station at least nine players between its 30- and 35-yard lines — the setup zone — with up to two returners deep in the landing zone between the goal line and 20.
None of the 10 kicking-team players or the setup-zone blockers can move until the ball touches the ground, a player in the landing zone, or the end zone. Any kick landing in the zone must be returned; if it lands there and then rolls into the end zone, the receiving team can return it or down it for a touchback at the 20.
Kicks that go directly into or through the end zone result in a touchback at the 35, while any ball short of the landing zone or out of bounds gives possession at the 40.
The redesign aims to preserve kickoff returns while reducing high-speed collisions.
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