The NFL didn’t just tweak a rule in 2024; it rewrote one of football’s most familiar moments. With safety and excitement both in mind, the league introduced the “dynamic kickoff,” a scrimmage-style reset designed to curb high-speed collisions while putting returns back in play, fundamentally changing how the opening kick unfolds. However, rather than generating excitement from the first moment of a game, the new NFL kickoff rule has struggled to gain approval from a significant portion of football fans, including former NFL players. Recently, the Green Bay Packers icon, Brett Favre, shared his final thoughts on it on a recent episode of 4th and Favre.

“I get it that they’re trying to protect players, but you’re taking what I consider a valuable piece of the game, even though it’s a small piece,” said Brett. “I kind of like the element of surprise in all of the game, some ways, shape, or form. And I think you’re taking that out. I would just think it needs to be revamped or just done away with completely.”

The new kickoff rule, also known as the Dynamic kickoff rule, was first introduced and implemented for the 2024 season. After a year-long trial, it was made permanent from the 2025 season with a couple of updated twists.

The rule was introduced with the safety of the players in mind. During the old rule, the players ran towards each other at full pace during the kickoff, which resulted in extremely high-speed collisions between the players, posing significant safety risks.

While the players stood 10-15 yards apart under the old rule, they now stand only 5 yards away from each other. However, the primary difference lies in the movement of players. Initially, all the players sprinted or moved as soon as the ball was kicked, but now the players aren’t allowed to move until the ball touches the ground or gets caught.

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Although the safety net has increased, the new rule has taken away the opening wave of excitement from the game. With the players positioned just 5 yards apart in the opening minute, the returner gets fewer gaps to navigate, failing to create the unpredictability of the home run. Additionally, the rule has completely eliminated the surprise of an onside kick because a team must declare it beforehand.

Therefore, not everyone has embraced the new kickoff, including Favre. Some players even argue the updated rules swing too far in the return team’s favor, especially when a mistake by the kicking unit can hand over prime field position. One NFC defender pointed out how a poorly placed kick can immediately put an offense within easy scoring range, making the penalty feel excessive.

Even though returns increased under the new format, they haven’t translated into more touchdowns; only six were scored on 2,076 kickoff returns during the 2025 regular season, actually one fewer than in 2024. So far, only the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks (including the postseason) have managed multiple kickoff-return touchdowns since the change.

Still, some players see promise rather than frustration, with one AFC offensive player calling it an open door for creativity and believing it’s only a matter of time before a team truly figures out how to turn the new setup into consistent scoring. Nevertheless, just like many former players and NFL fans, President Donald Trump also loathes the kickoff rule, which he has publicly brought up in interviews and social media posts.

Donald Trump voices continued frustration over the NFL’s Dynamic Kickoff format

Recently, the POTUS was the guest on Josh Pate’s College Football Show, where he was also asked about college football. While discussing the football regulations and rules, he brought up the NFL kickoff rule into the conversation, citing his strong dislike.

“When I look at the kickoff,” said Trump. ” I hate to see this new kickoff rule they have. It takes the glamour, the glory, it takes everything out of the game. When I watch a kickoff, that’s a big event. That’s the opening of a game and, that’s an important thing. And then they do this. I’m not even sure does anybody understand what they’re even doing? But I think it’s very bad for the NFL. And I hope college football doesn’t do that.”

College football still follows the traditional kickoff format to start a game. When the rule was introduced by the NFL in 2024, the 79-year-old publicly expressed his disapproval on his social media. Then, in September 2025, when the new season of the league commenced, he cited it as “sissy football”, urging the league to scrap it.

Eventually, he kept the same stance two months later when he appeared as a guest on The Pat McAfee Show. Most recently, the president spoke out against it after Super Bowl LX, when he also bashed the halftime show performed by Bad Bunny.

Despite the repeated demands, the NFL seems unbothered due to the success rate. Approximately 74 percent of kickoffs were returned in the 2025 season,  which was more than double that of the previous season. However, when the league experimented with the rule in the 2024 season, the concussion rate dropped by 43%.