President Donald Trump appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Nov. 11 and voiced his displeasure with the NFL’s dynamic kickoff rules.
“I do have to say that I hate the new kickoff..
I think it’s so terrible” 😂😂 ~ @POTUS #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/YoGvEwzm45
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 11, 2025
“I hate the kickoff in football. I think it’s so terrible; I think it’s so demeaning. I think it hurts the game and hurts the pageantry,” Trump said. “I’ve told that to Roger Goodell. And I don’t think it’s any safer. I mean, you still have guys crashing into each other.”
“The ball is in the air and nobody is moving,” Trump continued. “It’s supposed to be when the ball is in the air, when the ball is played, you’re supposed to be moving. The pageantry of the game is so badly hurt. The NFL, they do what they want to do. I don’t think they’ll change. I hope college football doesn’t change, because the power of the kickoff was so beautiful.”
On Thursday, Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub was asked about Trump’s comments, and he didn’t hold back with his response during a press conference.
#Chiefs ST Coorinator Dave Toub responds to Trump criticizing the new kickoff rules.
He says, “He doesn’t even know what he’s looking at.” pic.twitter.com/tPDPEgRA4G
— Sports Radio 810 WHB (@SportsRadio810) November 20, 2025
“He doesn’t even know what he’s looking at. He has no idea what’s going on with the kickoff rule,” Toub said about Trump. “So take that for what it’s worth. And I hope he hears it.”
The NFL implemented the dynamic kickoff in 2024 as a way to increase kickoff returns. The dynamic kickoff features the ball being kicked from the 35-yard line, while players on the kicking team must wait at the 40-yard line until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20-yard line. Additionally, there are rules for the landing zone, which is located between the receiving team’s goal line and the 20-yard line.
Toub has been the Chiefs’ special teams coordinator since 2013, after holding the same position with the Chicago Bears from 2004-12. He has long been one of the most respected special teams coaches in the NFL.