Kickoffs getting the boot, maybe

[tsylvester]

Will be discussed after medical team, NFL, found players were 5 times more likely to be concussed..

 

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000923684/article/nfl-exploring-changes-to-possible-elimination-of-kickoff

 

It seems highly unlikely a change would occur in time for the 2018 season -- "they're not there yet," NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport said Wednesday on Up To The Minute Live. But in looking further down the road, it's not difficult to imagine a game that simply switches possession by placing the ball on a team's own 25.

 

The most important indicator that this is more possible than one might have expected: Concussions are even happening on kicks that aren't returned.

 

"The other thing that's kind of frustrating," Murphy said, "is there were concussions on touchbacks. So even though there's no return, [the committee is] looking at what kind of things you can do to make sure people were aware that there's not even a return. You see this, too: One player lets up, the player covering lets up, and one of the blockers comes over and, you know. That creates problems when you've got one player going half-speed and the other one full speed."