‘Everybody Is Concerned About the Unintended Consequences’ — Bengals’ Darrin Simmons Weighs In on Kickoff Rule

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons is well versed on the details of the new kickoff rule NFL owners passed.

But knowing what went into the decision is one thing. What comes out of it is entirely different.

“Like with anything, everybody is concerned about the unintended consequences and the unknown stuff,” Simmons said on Tuesday morning shortly after the owners voted.

What’s Next After New Kickoff Rule Passes?

In an effort to keep the kickoff return as part of the game while keeping the play safe, the league passed the new rule on a one-year trial basis.

Kicking off a new era: Owners just approved the NFL Hybrid Kickoff rule, per source.

After years of tweaks turned one of the game’s most exciting moments into a “dead, ceremonial play”, the league hopes this overhaul will yield what it wants: fewer injuries and more returns. pic.twitter.com/jHLAjZJm0z

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 26, 2024

The basics are that the ball will remain at the 35-yard line, where the kicker will stand alone. His 10 teammates will line up at the opposite 40-yard line, and at least nine members of the receiving team will line up five yards away at the 35.

The remaining member(s) of the receiving team will be lined up inside the 20-yard line, and no one except the kicker can move until the ball either hits the ground or is touched by a member of the receiving team inside the landing zone (the area between the goal line and 20-yard line).

The drastic change, which is a version of the XFL model, is the result of only a little more than one in five kickoffs being returned in 2023 after the league floated another one-year rule trial: allowing the receiving team to fair catch the kickoff and get the ball at the 25-yard line.

“Nobody was happy with the way the 2023 season went for the kickoff return game,” Simmons said. “Ony 22% of kicks were returned. Nobody wants that. We’d essentially taken away — legislated, if you want to call it that — the play out of the game.

“This accomplishes a couple of things,” he continued. “Hopefully the return rate will be higher. And with the reduction of speed and space, hopefully, the injury numbers will trend downward, and the injury rate will be closer to what it is for an offensive or defensive play. That’s always been the argument, that there were more injuries per play on kickoffs than there were on any other play in the game.”

Given the tighter space to work within and less need for speed, the new rule could alter the way the Bengals and all teams construct their return and coverage teams.

If you like great kick returns, you’ll love this game. pic.twitter.com/Bsht55RJ61

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) January 23, 2023

But it is going to be difficult to sync demand with supply.

“That’s gonna be part of the evolution of figuring all of this out,” Simmons said. “As the rules are right now, our roster limit is 48 active guys. And we still have first-, second-, and third-downs that we have to accommodate and are also part of the game.

“I would think that, maybe a guy or two, here or there, this could affect our thinking maybe of who we keep or who we keep active. But again, we’re still limited by the numbers of active players we can keep up for a game.”

Simmons estimates there will be 1,600 more kick returns in 2024 than there were in 2023. That’s 50 more per team.

So the more immediate issue the Bengals need to address is to find at least two starting-caliber kick returners.

“What we’ve got to decide is do we have those two guys on our roster right now,” Simmons said. “I think you’re gonna need several of them. Or is that a position that you have to coach somebody and teach somebody how to play?

“When you’re talking about 1,600 more plays on the season for the league, it does bring value to having another player than can return the ball,” he continued. “Strategically, you need to have at least two of them on your roster. And again, they’ve got to be active on game days, too. There’s a lot that has to go into it. It’s not just having two on your roster, they’ve got to be two of the players that are gonna be on your 48.”

KEEP READING: What Is the NFL’s New Hybrid Kickoff Rule? Explaining the Kickoff Rule Change Coming in 2024

Simmons said he expects some of the unintended consequences to reveal themselves during the preseason, at which point some tweaks could be made to the rule before the regular season begins.

He’s happy the league is committed to keeping the kickoff return as part of the game but not thrilled about the direction it is going.

“I think this rule is the best alternative to get done what the league wanted to get done,” he said. “Am I excited that we’re at this point? No. I’m a traditionalist. I’d rather line it up and kick it deep and cover and do those things. But I understand there’s another side of it, the player safety side of things.”

Miss football? The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here, boss. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!