NFL Rumors: 'Momentum' Exists for League to Change Rule for Fumbles Out of End Zone

The Kansas City Chiefs lost an opportunity to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Divisional Round game against the Buffalo Bills because Mecole Hardman Jr. fumbled the ball out of the end zone for a touchback, but offenses might not have to worry about that next season.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the rule giving the other team the ball with a touchback if an offensive player fumbles out of the end zone could change during the offseason with "momentum behind" such a switch.

Fowler noted a touchback in such a situation is "considered by many to be too harsh."

Defensive players won't be happy about it if there is a rule change, and it is difficult to blame them.

After all, many of the rule changes in recent years have made it easier to play offense. Between roughing the passer rules, pass interference flags and limited areas where defenders can hit on a play, playing defense is anything but easy in the modern-day NFL.

The touchback rule is one of the only ones that favors the defense, but even that might be going away in 2024.

On the one hand, fumbling the ball out of bounds anywhere else on the field doesn't penalize the offense like it does with the touchback rule. Unless it is fourth down, the offense still maintains possession in such a scenario.

However, the end zone is also different from the rest of the field.

Things such as forward progress and maintaining possession of the ball are different in the end zone. All offensive players have to do is reach the plane with possession for a touchdown regardless of what happens in the moments after the score, while the player would have to make sure they didn't fumble or lose forward progress in other areas.

The touchback rule is yet another example of how the rules are different in the end zone than everywhere else.

Although maybe not for long.