NFL teams have moved into the third and final phase of their offseason programs, which means they are allowed to do full team drills for the first time since the end of the 2023 season.
This year, it also means they are getting their first chance to practice with the new kickoff rules in place. Under the change adopted earlier this year, kickers kick the ball from their 35-yard-line while the majority of the coverage and return teams line up five yards from each other at the receiving team’s 35-line yard line. They cannot move until the ball hits the ground or is fielded inside the 20-yard-line or end zone.
Bengals kicker Evan McPherson got his first chance to see it all in action on Tuesday and said after the session that it “doesn’t feel too much like football.” He added that he’s sure that will change as he grows more accustomed to the change in strategy.
“It’s definitely interesting. It brings a lot of placement into play. It’s all touch. It feels weird for me,” McPherson said, via the team’s website. “I’m used to kicking it as high as I can, as hard as I can. Now I have to throw it inside to the 5-yard line in specific areas. It’s definitely an adjustment. You have to play the wind a lot more now.”
The Bengals are one of 32 teams making these kinds of adjustments and all of them are hopeful they’ll find a way to turn the new kickoff rules into an edge for them this fall.
