President Trump is not a fan of the NFL’s new dynamic kickoff, a revamped setup that the league introduced last season and made permanent this year.
The new kickoff is designed to encourage returns while limiting the high-speed collisions that result in a higher chance of injuries. Players from the return and coverage teams now line up just five yards apart, preventing the coverage unit from getting a running head start.
The former owner of the USFL’s New Jersey Generals can’t stand it.
“The NFL has to get rid of that ridiculous looking new Kickoff Rule. How can they make such a big and sweeping change so easily and quickly,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Monday morning. “It’s at least as dangerous as the ’normal’ kickoff, and looks like hell.”
The first season of the dynamic kickoff was deemed a success by the NFL’s owners and competition committee this offseason. They kept the setup mostly the same, adjusting the touchback rule slightly to punish teams who kick the ball out of the back of the endzone.
In Week 1, NFL teams returned 75.6% of kickoffs, the highest rate since 2010.
Mr. Trump said he’s opposed on principle.
“The ball is moving, and the players are not, the exact opposite of what football is all about. ’Sissy’ football is bad for America, and bad for the NFL! Who comes up with these ridiculous ideas?” he wrote. “It’s like wanting to ’roll back’ the golf ball so it doesn’t go (nearly!) as far.”
