Roger Goodell confirms NFL's new kickoff rules will remain all season | The Pat McAfee Show

you know the offseason you you spend a lot of time preparing for the next year you know everything we do you know whether it's rules has to go through competition committee uh then voting of the membership other votes for the membership so we're really the the offseason become very busy obviously you add in the draft you add in the combine um so there's a lot going on uh the season gets you back to a little bit more of a rhythm and obviously you're reacting a lot to what's happening on on game day so that that makes it fun it's a it's a little bit a uh nice Focus for us okay so let's talk about game days game days are going to look a little bit different now especially with how games are starting with this new kickoff the dynamic kickoff was obviously past this past off season and it was basically with the guys or the conversation of like hey we have to change this play or we're going to lose this play and nobody in football wants to lose the kickoff so modeling after the XFL the Special Teams coordinators came together with this particular hybrid style kickoff how do you feel about how it went in the preseason obviously returns are up through the roof and is there a chance to still change this through the season and tweak it to make it better so we get what we're hoping for out of this hybrid kickoff you know um pat first off you know preseason you don't see a lot right so to make uh a judgment after three weeks of the preseason is probably a little bit questionable because coaches are holding back and we'll see uh we'll see what they do once the regular season starts but to your point stat why it was up I I think it's very clear we're going to get more returns it's also very clear that the average start Drive is going to be out probably five or six yards uh close to the 30 yard line again good for offense uh and I think we'll see some longer returns we saw that uh in the context of just the three weeks the safety part looks good but it's still too early to tell but we don't want to make any judgments just off the data we have but that that's the that's the driver for us make this play the exciting play it's always been but make it also safer closer to the safety level of of a normal scrimmage play it hasn't always been it was for a long time then the last couple years I think even I who am one of the biggest kickoff Advocates on Earth would say that it became just a routine ceremonial type play and worthy of going to the bathroom but Mr commissioner do people call you that do people call you Mr commissioner is that what do they call you you can if you have to but I prefer Roger but okay whatever you want Raj yeah hell yeah hell yeah Roger that you know what I mean I will dive into that is there a chance are you worried though and just as a special teams guy how will you handle this situation if they just say 30 Touchback to hell with it we'll just give up the 30 and it becomes a routinely ceremonial Touchback thing again I know it's not normal for the NFL to change anything during the season but is there a thought that maybe a conversation will take place about tweaking this thing before we get what it is whenever we see it happen in regular season well I think what would happen no not before the regular season the competition committee met last week they made some very minor adjust Investments they were really uh very minor uh I think what we're going to do Pat is what we always do we we put this in for a year we'll evaluate it for the entire year if we see that type of circumstance come out probably evaluate where the ball goes out to the 35 next year and try that I think it depends on sort of the outcome and and what it is we think we can tweak okay well I love to hear that and we can't wait to see how it goes I do fear that it's just going to become a Touchback thing but if not hopefully some magic takes place so we can save an important playing a lot of important jobs for special teamers who make up obviously a core portion of the roster uh let's talk about some stats and analytics that we looked up okay Mr commissioner Raj we look these up so you can puff your chest a little bit do you know that every season since 1990 at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs after missing postseason action the year before will that streak 35 years straight it could turn 35 years straight of that particular thing happening and six teams last year had this rule happen for them uh including the Cleveland Bron the Detroit Lions who almost went Green Bay who almost went Houston obviously was a surprise to everybody Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh steers why do you think this is the case and do you think the product on the field is the reason why the ratings of money is everything up and to the right and how do we preserve that for as long as possible kamish well I always think the game it always starts with the game of football so when the game of football is competitive when it's exciting uh we we feel like that product is the best in the world and and I think that shows because I think the fan base is telling us that uh obviously you rely on your partners to make sure that the production and that we're reaching fans where they are and you know we've added new partners to our our uh our family over the last several years and I think they've brought a new approach to how to cover the NFL how to use creators and how to try to use technology that I think fans really enjoy so it's a it's a constant Evolution but we always spend the offseason going back to your first point how do we make the league better uh and that can be on the field but it can also be around the field and around our events and so that's where the focus has been and I I believe ultimately that's why it continues to grow but I also think and none of those numbers are reflected there in the context of our International growth which I think is it's it's a big future for us yeah let's talk International and uh how often do people tell you hey let's make sure full remains football how I mean I I was in one meeting that you in oh yeah I was in one meeting that you were in a round table thing and there were some old football players that literally every other sentence that came out of our mouth was like it's football this is football to you that's a big deal honestly keeping the product the product it is I look in the mirror every day and I say keep it football but but you know the reality Pat um you know it's a tough game these guys are bigger faster more athletic um it's back to fundamental football right it's I don't think we we've taken the contact out what we tried to do is remove those dangerous techniques that we see an increased uh rate of injury the hip drop's a good example of it we'll try to coach that out this year try to get it out of the game because it deserves to be out of the game when you have the serious injuries you have and four time the rate four times the rate of injury that's it's just not acceptable in the game kamesh I was down at the league owner meetings down there in uh Orlando Florida I want it was hot as I forget what it was it was down Florida it was very hot but uh coach you should have been in the room well especially when you're talking I assume it does get a little hot whenever we're trying to pass some things that's a good passion that's good energy but I saw Coach Harbaugh Jim and uh it was my first time since seeing him since the national championship or whatever and I know he's super big football guy you know like he is one of the most football guy football guys of all time and I'm like hip drop tackle getting me what does that even mean like how do you feel about it he goes got to get out of the game got to get out of the game I'm like what are you talking like everybody that I've ever talked to that plays defense they're like I never was taught at hip I don't even know what a hip drop like that's not on purpose Harbaugh grabs me by my shoulders and he goes it's just taken this we just wanted and he's like a big dude he's like this just can't happen any he's like for the good of the game this can't happen anymore and it was like okay that makes sense feels like you're going to be able to you got Jim to buy in which means I think you'll be able to keep everybody to buy in but everybody's worried that the toughness is going to get taken out of the game I don't think that's the case because I believe you and nobody's going to I'm going to get heckled for saying this Roger canell is a football guy I mean you're life is actually football through and through I think you're trying to persevere and keep it around forever now you talk about International growth let's dive into that [Music]