NFL to make changes next season; Smith blasts Newton

When the NFL’s 32 team owners voted to approve the new kickoff rule for the 2024 season, there seemed to be hope that this change would boost kickoff returns. While there has been some increase, it appears to fall short of what the league expected.

To address the issue, it looks like the NFL may change the kickoff rule once more. In a recent interview, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hinted that the league might consider moving the touchback to the 35-yard line for kicks that go out of the end zone. Currently, the touchback spot in that case is at the 30-yard line.

‘You could do the touchback and move it to the 35. I think that would be a game-changer right away. I think there will be a change, whether we make it immediately after the season. We’re going to have a competition committee (meeting) in the next week or so’, Goodell said.

Shifting the touchback from the 30 to the 35 could likely make teams less inclined to simply kick the ball out of the end zone, which has become a common tactic this season. The expected changes got fans excited, including offshore betting sites enthusiasts. Many believe that these changes will make the game more thrilling.

Reports indicate that about 29% of kickoffs have been returned in the first four weeks, showing a 17% increase from last year during the same period, yet it still falls short of the league’s goals. Notably, Goodell mentioned the 35-yard line as a touchback spot, as this was part of the original rule plan.

Initially, the touchback for any kickoff that went out of the end zone was set for the 35. However, the NFL altered this to the 30 just two days before the owners were scheduled to vote on the rule in March 2025.

‘We always said this was going to be a work in progress. I guess, if I had to grade it, I’d say it’s an incomplete right now. And only in this sense: We wanted to bring back more returns, but we wanted to do it safely’, Goodell said.

Goodell also noted that it has only been four weeks, and the figures might still shift. He mentioned that while things seem promising, it is too soon to draw firm conclusions, and there isn’t enough data yet. He suggested that the aim is to enhance safety in that play, and it may be necessary to make some adjustments to the kickoff, which could lead to more returns.

Steven Smith Sr. blasts Cam Newton

Former Carolina star wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. seemed to disagree with remarks made by ex-teammate Cam Newton. Newton had claimed that the Panthers were ‘losers’ before he joined the team in 2011 as the top overall pick.

In a recent episode of ‘The Travis Hunter Show’, hosted by Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, Newton discussed the pressure Hunter may encounter if he is chosen as the first pick in the 2025 NFL draft, just before the Super Bowl.

‘You could potentially be the first pick, but bro, you have no way of impacting the game the way a quarterback does. You can lock down the No. 1 receiver. You can make impact plays on offence all you want, but it’s still not like a quarterback’, Newton said on the podcast.

Newton said that his concern was that, when he was the first pick, he found himself in a locker room full of players who did not know how to win. He suggested that they were not serious about their roles and seemed unaware of their 2-14 record. He also noted that there was a strong 2-14 mindset among those players.

These remarks did not sit well with Smith, who is known as the most productive receiver in Panthers history and is among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2025. Some fans, including offshore betting sites enthusiasts were also taken aback by Newton’s comments, with some calling Newton out on social media.