The NFL has already approved one major change to the kickoff, but Evan McPherson isn't quite satisfied just yet. The Bengals kicker wants to see the league add another rule that would make it possible to score points on kickoffs.
During a recent interview with the team's official website, McPherson shared his proposal.
"I've got an idea for a fun rule," McPherson said. "If you kick it through the uprights, make that four points. And if you miss, they get it at the 30."
Although McPherson was half-joking and it's a proposal that the NFL owners would almost certainly never approve, it's actually not the first time that proposal like this has come up. Back in 2016, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said that teams should get one point if their kicker puts the kickoff through the uprights.
"I'm on record advocating that should be a point," Harbaugh said at the time. "I'm serious now, kinda. Really, how exciting would that make it, for [Justin Tucker] to make these kickoff touchbacks so valuable? Let's do it. Let's go for it."
The ball is currently placed at the kicking team's 35-yard line for a kickoff, which means a kicker would have to accurately boot the ball at least 75 yards to score any points under these two proposals. The longest field goal in NFL history is 66 yards, so it would be 9 yards farther than that. Kickers would benefit from the use of a tee on the kickoff, but it still wouldn't be easy.
The problem with the proposal is that the NFL is trying to encourage MORE kickoff returns and awarding a point to a team every time their kicker put a kickoff through the uprights would likely cut down on returns, so it's unlikely the NFL will never make McPherson's rule happen.
As for the new kickoff rule, it's likely going to be a headache for most kickers around the NFL and McPherson explained why.
"I might have to make more tackles, I've got to get in the tackling line now," McPherson said of what will change for him with the rule change. "It takes away from the skills us kickers have."
With more kickoff returns, that means kickers will likely be making more tackles this season, which most kickers probably won't be thrilled about.
