NFL owners have approved a rule change that will dramatically change kickoff return rules during the 2023 season and potentially beyond.
The new regulations owners voted at the league's spring meetings in Minneapolis to allow kick returners to call a fair catch and have the ball placed at the 25-yard line. Fair catches from safety or kickoff must happen behind a team's line to be able to place it at the 25 afterwards.
Former Indianapolis Colts punter-turned-analyst Pat McAfee has already been an outspoken critic of the change before it became official. The NFL cites player safety as the reason behind the amendment, expecting concussions will decrease as the rate of returns drops from a nine-year high last season.
