The NFL will be implementing a new kickoff set up this season. Due to rule changes that may force the kicker to be potentially more involved in stopping a returner, there have been rumblings that some teams have considered letting more physically experienced players take over kickoffs. The Kansas City Chiefs were the first to consider the change as they are expected to have safety Justin Reid handle their kickoff duties, and now it looks as though the Los Angeles Rams may be following their lead.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73561692/1940262198.0.jpg)
Speaking on his podcast Daily Grind co-hosted by his wife, WR Cooper Kupp has revealed that he will be kicking for the Rams kickoff unit in Detroit on Sunday Night Football.
Around the 7:20 mark, the veteran wideout says:
“We are six days away from kickoff and I will be doing the opening kickoff. Dropping that right here now. I’m literally out there kicking the ball to start things off. Pretty cool, pretty cool.”
To be clear, this move has not yet been confirmed by head coach Sean McVay. While it may sound like a joke on some level, there have been many innovations this season to help make special teams and the kickoff a bigger part of the game, teams more willing to accept and adapt to those changes are the ones that will find a competitive edge first.
Surprisingly, Kupp actually does have some minor kicking experience. In high school he handled punts, averaging 33 yards per kick his senior year at Davis high in Washington. Also in his favor is the fact that he will only need the ball to get in the landing zone (20-yard line to the goal line) as kicking it all the way for a touchback will now result in the ball being placed at the 30-yard line, rather than the 25 like previous years. Kupp has no formal kicking experience in the NFL but has returned kicks in the past.
It remains to be seen if Kupp will actually be handling the kickoff or rookie kicker Josh Karty will stay in the role, but one thing is for sure - the dynamic kickoff is already starting to change the NFL. Special teams importance and kicker value could become drastically different moving forward.
