Report: NFL 'Considering' Rule Change to Implement XFL's Version of Kickoffs

Last year, the NFL and XFL struck a deal that saw the latter serve as a "petri dish" of sorts for the former. Now, the NFL might be prepared to see a tangible return from the arrangement.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported the league is "considering" whether to adopt the XFL's kickoff rules.

In the XFL, the kicker boots the ball from his own 30-yard line. All of his teammates line up at the opposite 35-yard line, with all but the returner from the kicking team five yards away on the 30.

The NFL has tweaked its kickoffs over the years in an effort to decrease the risk of player injuries. Most recently, team owners approved a rule that gives the receiving team a touchback for any fair catch inside its own 25-yard line.

The aims behind the overall push are understandable. The physical danger to players was obvious when one team was running full speed at another that started at a mostly stationary position.

The paradox is that the safer kickoffs become the more irrelevant they are. The new touchback guidelines all but guarantee return men are neutralized further.

Switching to the XFL kickoff could theoretically strike a balance where you get more returns without having a disproportionate health risk.

However, Florio cited one source who isn't sold on the idea.

"They have no idea how much different NFL players are," the source said. "There will literally be nowhere to run."

It's easy to see how the field could get constricted so quickly that most returns might wind up gaining 10 to 15 yards. That can make a meaningful difference in terms of field position but wouldn't provide much more entertainment than a touchback.

You can't blame the NFL for trying to think outside the box, but it might simply be impossible to find a workable solution for kickoffs where player safety is a priority.