The NFL has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde with its kickoff rules over the last few years. There were even some rumors it could be completely done away with because of concerns for player safety. How the Seattle Seahawks voted on the matter isn't known for 2025.
Kickoffs changed dramatically in 2024, with the kicker kicking off while his fellow players were already on the receiving team's end of the field. They couldn't move until the ball landed, though. The idea was to try to have more kickoff returns. This season, if the kickoff lands or is downed in the end zone, the receiving team will begin on their own 35-yard line.
The move probably means more kickoff returns as teams are not going to want their opponent to start consistently on the 35-yard line. This puts a priority on a team having a very good kick returner, and this is where one Seahawks free agent addition comes in.
Steven Sims could steal a roster spot as the Seahawks' kick and punt returner
When Steven Sims was signed this offseason, the move flew a bit under the radar. After all, Seattle had turned over its receiving corps to a great degree (DK Metcalf was traded, Tyler Lockett was released, and Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were signed in free agency), and Sims had not produced a lot as a receiver since he entered the league in 2019.
Sims had also not had much of a chance to return kicks since his rookie season, though he has averaged 25.2 yards a return on 62 career returns.
He has also been a reliable, if not overly explosive, punt returner. Seattle likely cares more about a player being able to catch the ball efficiently and consistently than whether he is capable of breaking off a long punt return on occasion. The Seahawks' punt returns with Dee Williams and Jaelon Darden, both of whom are not on the current roster, were a mess and, at times, disastrous.
Sims's main returner competition comes from rookie Tory Horton, but Horton is still recovering from a knee injury suffered in college last year, and he has been limited in camp. Meanwhile, Sims has been getting almost all the work, especially with punt returns.
Special teams coach Jay Harbaugh raved about Sims this week when speaking to the media after one OTA session, saying, "Big fan of Steven. He’s quick, he’s twitched up, he takes it really seriously. He loves that role and really embraces it, works his tail off... He has a lot of God-given talent, too. So combine those two things (and) it’s pretty exciting."
While Sims is unlikely to get many reps as a receiver, he certainly could make the roster as the main kick and punt returner. While not extremely explosive, he likely would not literally fumble away his chances as Seattle's returners did last year.
