How will new kickoff rule impact type, quality of player returning kicks?

BEREA — One of the most popular NFL offseason topics of conversation has been the new kickoff rule.

The subject has spawned plenty of discussion, from the highest levels of team front offices right down to sports-talk radio callers. One of the offshoots of the new rule has been the potential of new participants who wouldn't normally be on those special teams.

“Am I going to be a part of it? Yeah, maybe," Browns defensive end Myles Garrett said during minicamp. "I'm in the meetings, so when my name is called, I'll be out there.”

But exactly where would Garrett be willing to play?

“Whatever we need," Garrett said. "I'll return it. I'll go down there and smack something. It's wherever they place me.”

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Garrett, for the record, wouldn't be a special-teams newbie. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year has played 509 career special teams snaps, including 59 last season.

Those snaps, though, represent a significantly smaller percentage of all of the Browns' special teams snaps. Garrett has never been in for more than 19% of the team's special teams snaps in a given year, including 13%, 13% and 12% between 2021-23.

Despite Garrett's offer, one area where there's a good chance he won't be is as one of the return men. But never say never, especially as even those in charge of putting together those units remain in a trial-and-error period as they see the rule play out.

"We've repped pretty much all of our skill players back there, receivers, even some of the tight ends," special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said during OTAs. "We've repped a good bit of the running backs. Everyone has really gotten more ball handling than we've had in the past."

Why is that? It's because of the opportunities the alignment of both the kickoff coverage team and the blockers on the return team.

The 10 players who aren't the kicker on the kickoff team must line up on the return team's 40, while the nine or 10 non-return men will be aligned between their 30 and the 35, with at least seven required to be along the 35. That alignment has the potential to open up opportunities for big returns, which was the basic idea behind the new rule.

"There's elements of the play that could look like more of a punt return, and I think you're going to see a variety of schemes in that sense," Ventrone said. "I think you're going to see some schemes that you're going to try to get on guys quicker, and it's going to look more like a punt return. I think you're going to see some teams that will have schemes and plays that look like the old kickoff return where you're going to retreat and you're blocking techniques.

"So, I think ... you're going to see a variety of things, and you're going to see a lot of different body types back there."

That includes some of the biggest names on the Browns roster. The same goes for the other 31 teams in the league as they deal with the new rule.

There was some offseason talk, which has since been shot down by all involved, of the Pittsburgh Steelers using quarterback Justin Fields on the return team. However, the fact such an idea wasn't just immediately dismissed but openly discussed in some league circles shows the liberal approaches being taken to utilizing higher profile players in those roles.

"I would say to a degree, yeah, I would say to a degree," Ventrone said. "And I think across the league you're going to see more high-profile players back there. I think just guys that are good with the ball in their hands because there's elements of this play that play like a kickoff play, there's like a true kickoff kick return play."

One of the Browns' acquisitions in the opening stages of free agency is former Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines. With both the Colts — where he played for Ventrone — and Bills, he also was one of the league's top return men, most recently leading the league with two kickoff return touchdowns in 2022.

Hines said the new rule favors a specific type of player, not necessarily a type based on hierarchy.

"One, I think it's going to maybe favor towards running backs or somebody who's going to hit the hole," Hines said. "It's not going to be, like, you can just run across the field how people used to do back in the year, super fast guys. So I think personally for me, it'll be great. You're going to have to see a hole and hit it."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ