Raiders' Daniel Carlson opposes NFL kickoff rule change: All-Pro kicker doesn't want to be 'limited by rules'

Carlson is one of the many players and coaches to speak out against the new rule

New special teams rules were put into place in the NFL this offseason, and not everyone is happy about it. Las Vegas Raiders' kicker Daniel Carlson is one of those people.

The rule change will encourage fair catches on kickoffs, with the league stating the goal is to increase player health and safety. This season, a fair catch on a kickoff anywhere inside a team's own 25-yard line will result in a touchback, meaning the ball will be placed at the 25.

Carlson said that as a kicker, he wants to be able to play at his best.

"You want to be able to perform at the highest level and not be limited by rules," Carlson said (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal). "And so, we're trying to figure out how to do that now and roll with the punches."

The rule change will make it more difficult for a kicker to pin the opposing team far back into their own territory. Carlson said not to be able to put opponents in tough field positions will change the kickoff game in a major way. As a kicker who is skilled in booting the ball so the other team has a long field, this will certainly have an impact on how he approaches the game.

"Not only for field position, but also for kind of the momentum after a score to go pin someone down inside the 20," Carlson said. "I think that's a huge play for a team to set their defense up and to get guys fired up."

The 28-year-old said at this point, what's done is done. Now the kickers and special team units will have to learn to play under the new rules.

"We'll just have to adjust along with all the other teams in the league and try and figure out ways to take advantage of the new rules, just like offense and defense do when rule changes happen with them," he said. " ... It's going to be interesting to see how it gets used, how it gets played."

Raiders special teams coach Tom McMahon said until an actual game is played, there is no telling just how much they will notice the change.

"Right now, we have to get through the preseason, in my personal opinion, and we have to see how this thing plays itself out, this new rule," McMahon said. "It's new to us, so I can't give you how it is going to impact us."

Carlson is far from the only one to express frustrations over the changes. New England Patriots veteran special teamer Matthew Slater called out the league, saying, "I just don't believe this is truly in the name of player health and safety" and that it is all for show.

Defending Super Bowl champion Andy Reid was another critic of the rule, with the Kansas City Chiefs head coach asking, "My thing is, where does it stop, right?"

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell also joined in with negative comments on the adjustments.