Count the Patriots among the teams that weren’t on board with the latest controversial change to the NFL rulebook.
New England was one of five clubs that voted against a new kickoff rule that will allow teams to automatically start at the 25-yard line after a fair catch, according to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions were the other “no” votes, per Breer’s sources. Twenty-six teams voted in favor of the change, and the Las Vegas Raiders abstained.
Breer and others reported NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was a strong proponent of the new rule — which was made in the name of player safety — and that Goodell successfully convinced several team owners to flip their votes after an initial tally did not receive the necessary support. The new rule was approved for this season only and will be re-evaluated in 2024.
That the Patriots remained opposed to the change was no surprise. Bill Belichick annually devotes more roster spots to special teams-only players than most NFL coaches do, and this new rule further diminishes the importance of kickoffs, kickoff coverage and kick returners.
Last season, the Patriots rostered five players who played more than 100 snaps on special teams and fewer than 15 on offense or defense: Matthew Slater, Brenden Schooler, DaMarcus Mitchell, Raleigh Webb and Cody Davis. All five remain under contract, and New England made several additional moves this offseason aimed at improving its kicking game. The Patriots signed standout special teamer Chris Board in free agency and used Day 3 draft picks on a kicker (Chad Ryland), a punter (Bryce Baringer), a cornerback who played mostly on special teams in college (Ameer Speed) and a corner whose most notable contributions came as a kick returner (Isaiah Bolden).
We’ll see whether Tuesday’s rule change has any impact on how Belichick constructs his 53-man roster this season.
