"Dike and the Dallas Cowboys' KaVontae Turpin are among the NFL's top five in all-purpose yards thanks to the kickoff rules changes in 2024 before they were slightly tweaked in 2025 -- an incentive to bring back the return game. It gave players like New York Jets return man Isaiah Williams a better chance of making the roster. It has also helped increase the value for veterans like Turpin, who signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension in March."
"The 2024 rule changes introduced the new dynamic formation to increase returns and boost safety (43% reduction in concussion rates) because players are aligned closer to each other to reduce high-speed collisions. The league also moved the touchback spot from the 20-yard line to the 30. However, the leaguewide return rate of 32.8% was still the league's lowest since at least 2000, and the touchback rate of 64.3% was the league's highest over the same period."
Rule changes in 2024 introduced a new dynamic kickoff formation to increase returns and boost safety, moving the touchback spot from the 20 to the 30. The changes produced a 43% reduction in concussion rates but yielded a leaguewide return rate of 32.8% and a touchback rate of 64.3%, the lowest and highest since at least 2000, respectively. The touchback spot moved to the 35 in 2025, prompting teams to put the ball in play more often and causing the kick return rate to surge to 77.4% through Week 14, restoring value to return specialists.
Read at ESPN.com
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