One of the functions of the McCaskey family over the years has been involvement in voting for rule changes at league meetings.
It's the owner's duty.
George McCaskey gets to vote on proposed league rule changes at owners meetings this week a few rules that could greatly influence the Bears greatly on the field.
In fact, one proposed rule change should go through from the Bears' standpoint because they have the ability to take advantage of it better than numerous other teams in the league.
“Ryan says, ‘This is the guy we want.’ And I said, ‘Go get him.’”
George McCaskey on hiring Ben Johnson. pic.twitter.com/lSdMZLAF22
— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) January 22, 2025
The Bears need to vote for the proposed kick return rule change which puts touchbacks at the 35-yard line instead of the 30.
The intended result of this move would be to increase the number of kickoffs. Their rule change to an XFL kickoff style last year increased kick returns but only by 11% but those extra 5 yards could really bump it up.
The Bears should want kick returns. They have a special teams coordinator in Richard Hightower who not only helped write the rule change to the XFL style kick, but now they have a player regarded as one of the game's best at kick returns even if he struggled last year.
Need to see Devin Duvernay do this as a Chicago Bear
pic.twitter.com/GhwtTTc27E
— Bearsszn (@bearssznn) March 19, 2025
Devin Duvernay did have trouble last year with injuries and with a bad team and poor return blocking after being with Baltimore for years, a place where special teams will always have a place of importance. The Bears have always treated special teams like the Ravens do.
Duvernay was All-Pro with regular kick return numbers, 64 through his first three years. He had only 23 returns total for his last two years and it helped result in his ineffectiveness.
Devin Duvernay is one of the best and most exciting returners in the NFL.
Can’t wait to see if/ how Ben Johnson uses him on offense as well. pic.twitter.com/JEHgdRAH1v
— Caleb Williams Fan Club (@CalebFC18) March 19, 2025
The competition committee estimates the return rate could go up dramatically to 50% or more of kickoffs.
More returns with fewer touchbacks, more Duvernay returns and more big plays for the Bears.
Here’s a sample of what the Bears hope they’re getting in Devin Duvernay, who hit 21.60 mph on this return touchdown. That’s a speeding violation in many school zones. pic.twitter.com/H0lD18zrhv
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) March 19, 2025
The Lions proposed this change and it's one the Minnesota Vikings would, no doubt, support after last season.
The rule change would guarantee all playoff game home fields are made according to seed based on record and division titles would not enter into it.
90% of the money was on the Vikes in Vegas.
Magically the Rams got bailed out 5 times on 3rd down by penalties and this wasn’t called for a face masks.
Last thing NFL wants is a LA market team to go into seller mode before the traded deadline.#Rigged
pic.twitter.com/2C6DBNc6dt
— Micheal Sparish (@M_Sparish) October 25, 2024
Last year all three NFC wild card teams had better records than the division champion Rams and Buccaneers but the Rams and Buccaneers got to stay at home for the playoffs. The Vikings lost at L.A. despite 14 regular-season wins.
The Bears should vote against this partly because the Vikings and Lions would want it, just for spite.
Sure, at some point in the future this type of rule can impact the Bears. Maybe they want the chance as wild cards to host games.
The gloves come off in #GreenBay 🫢#Bears #NFL #Packers #rivalry pic.twitter.com/ywy4rFyehk
— Lauren Screeden (@lscreeden) January 6, 2025
This isn't the point at all.
Division races and rivalries mean something in the NFL. Over the years, the NBA, NHL and even Major League Baseball have lost something by cheapening the value of winning a regular-season division title. The reward for winning the division should be a higher seed no matter what the record is, and a home field in the wild-card round.
THE KICK IS BLOCKED
FOR THE 11TH STRAIGHT TIME THE PACKERS BEAT THE BEARS
pic.twitter.com/mChrvPL63L
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 17, 2024
Start taking down the importance of divisions and soon where does it stop? Bears-Packers becomes like a Seahawks-Jaguars game eventually. There's no specific reason to follow it other than someone once said it was important.
Keep division titles sacred. Tradition should mean something.
If teams like the Vikings want to get a home game, win the last regular-season game over the Lions.
ESPN named Packers-Bears as the greatest rivalry in the history of the NFL #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/cpe0KGThNi
— Packers Nation (@PackersNationCP) July 10, 2016
Of course this needs to be outlawed and in the end it has nothing at all to do with the Eagles or even the fact the Packers proposed this change, although that alone would be a good reason for the Bears to vote on the side of the Eagles.
It sounds like the tush push is going to be banned. pic.twitter.com/w0FjivXqSA
— Mark Gunnels (@MarkAGunnels) March 28, 2025
The tush push is a boring, uninteresting play that is also both dangerous to execute and to try and stop.
This is a modern day version of the flying wedge. They banned that play back in the early 1900s because of its danger and unfair advantage given to the team using it. It's like a rugby play and this is football, a much more beautiful, athletic sport.
The same situation applies here.
It’s not real football
— j⁰ (@luvsabrinaNE) March 28, 2025
The league has been very fortunate so far that some quarterback hasn't had his back injured by being shoved from behind at the same time he's being hit from the front, or that some lineman isn't trampled to the point of suffering severe back damage. It's a matter of time.
Why should a quarterback, or any other runner, be pushed by someone on his own team, anyway? That's not a football play. A football play is blocking the other guys trying to tackle him. Do that instead. That's what they teach football players from the beginning of youth football.
It only makes sense, the rule for the defense is they’re not allowed to push for player safety so why should the offense be able to do it?
— Atlanta Sports Stooge (@Bradley_Hinton) March 28, 2025
They can still run quarterback sneaks without the tush push. They just need to do it the correct way and the QB needs to run on his own behind blocks.
The rule needs to be equated to the unfair advantage rules they instituted on field goals that prohibit the rushing team from contacting the long snapper, or to use unfair leaps to gain advantages. It's all the same thing.
When I see plays like this it really pisses me off the tush push goes on for 30 seconds pic.twitter.com/fK0yQ9UEvo
— Michael Beck (@MichaelBeck56) December 25, 2024
Block the defense, not your own guy from behind.
A league in total love with offense needs to throw a bone to the defense here because this offensive play does nothing to enhance the watchability of NFL games. Ultimately, it might help an offense keep the ball and score more points but it is boring in and of itself.
It's like watching an NBA game back when they had 2-to-make-3 at the foul line. No one wants that. It's boring. More plays like this and people will start tuning out.
Jim O’Brien’s game winning field goal won Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts on this day in 1971. This was the first Super Bowl after the AFL/NFL merger and the last Super Bowl win for the Colts franchise until Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLI. #NFL #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/AL8fIQpCRk
— Gershon Rabinowitz (@GershOnline) January 17, 2021
It's like watching intentional walks when they make the pitcher actually throw the pitch.
It's like watching NFL extra points being kicked from the 10-yard line with the goal post on the goal line like they were before 1974. Bor-ing. The play is regressive. Get rid of it.
The 🏈 used to get kicked out of Wrigley field and into the streets in the 50’s#Bears pic.twitter.com/GSWqFcV7M7
— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) February 25, 2023
Don't pity the poor Eagles, though.
Their offensive line is actually good enough to survive by blocking instead of by gaming the system. They'll be just fine by letting Jalen Hurts sneak the ball on his own.
Way too many people say that the Tush Push isn’t a real football play, it’s a rugby scrum blah blah blah. Well, this is an actual rugby scrum. Does it look anything like what the Eagles do in short yardage situations? pic.twitter.com/EIhTvRSaif
— Jon Marks (@JonMarksMedia) March 21, 2025
X: BearsOnSI