NFL owners approved a rule change this week that will push any touchback to the offensive team's 25-yard line. The five-yard increase was implemented on a one-year trial basis in order to reduce the number of kick returns attempted and thereby the number of injuries that occur those plays.
The league has admitted, however, that the change won't necessarily lead to more players taking a knee inside the end zone. Kickers could aim their kicks for the goal line, hoping to force a return and perhaps a tackle inside the 20-yard line.
"We do want to see if it changes the numbers and how it impacts the game," chairman of the Competition Committee Rich McKay said. "Because there is that thought that there will be some more short kicks. We'll see."
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent emphasized on Wednesday that the rule will be tested during the 2016 season and could be changed again.
"It was debated and discussed at length and I think that's why it was a 1-year playing proposal was to see," Vincent told NFL Network. "Are the implications what we hoped they would be -- less returns? Are the [other implications] . . . will teams try and see what those outcomes are? I think that's why the one-year proposal makes sense so that we can adjust moving forward."
Vincent was asked if the league was looking to slowly eliminate kickoffs from the game entirely.
"That's an exciting . . . it's an explosive play," he said. "Frankly, it's how I earned my scholarship to the University of Wisconsin was returning punts and kicks in high school. But we do have to monitor because that's where we see some of our biggest collisions. What can we do to still make that an exciting play, but still limit some of the explosive plays and contacts that we see?"
New England Patriots
The NFL's vice president of officiating Dean Blandino chimed in to remind fans that taking a touchback isn't required of players who receive a kick in the end zone.
"I think it just gives teams another option," Blandino said. "You can still take it out of the end zone. But just if you decide not to, it's going to be at the 25. We put it in for one year so we can look at it, and if there are any unintended consequences, we won't get stuck with a rule that by Week 6 or 7, [saying], 'We weren't sure that was going to happen.' It will be interesting to see how it plays out, but we feel good about it."
The Patriots could opt to change their strategy when it comes to kickoffs given the new rule. Their kicker, Stephen Gostkowski, was tied for the league-lead in touchbacks last season with 69. He was also the sixth-best in the league in terms of return percentage as he had 28.9 percent of his kicks returned in 2015.
Will Gostkowski pop his kicks higher into the air and not quite as far down the field in order to avoid a touchback that will put an opposing team on the 25-yard line? Or will the extra five yards granted to offenses not be enough to deter the Patriots from booting it deep to deter a potentially-explosive return?
Only time will tell, but Belichick and his staff will certainly be aware of the new rule and adapt as they see fit.