Back in 2024, I asked special teams staffers in and around the NFL what the new dynamic kickoff would look like, before we had ever seen the play executed in the league. The response I got was the following: Eventually, teams are going to be good enough to kick “dirty balls,” which are difficult to field, that they’ll use the time between when the ball hits in the landing zone to the time that a kick returner can field the ball as the “new hangtime” on the play. This offseason, the NFL moved the touchback from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line, with the hopes of forcing teams to put more balls into play.

It’s working, as the touchback rate in the NFL has plummeted. Unfortunately for special teams coordinators around the league, though, their kickoff specialists are still lagging at the

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