NFL Shares Record-Breaking Special Teams Stat Through 4 Weeks of 2026 Season

The NFL's desire to make the special teams more exciting for fans when the dynamic kickoff was implemented has paid off.

Per numbers from Troy Vincent Sr., executive vice president of the NFL's football operations department, the 13,409 kickoff return yards so far this season are the most ever through the first four weeks in league history.

There have been a total of 516 returns between the 32 teams, an average of roughly 26.0 yards per return. This is right in line with the 2025 season average (25.9), but slightly down from 2024 when it was at an NFL-record 27.6 yards.

However, the 2024 season only averaged 1.7 kickoff returns per game. This season averages 4.0 returns per contest.

Dylan Laube of the Las Vegas Raiders leads the NFL in kickoff return average with 33.4 yards on seven returns. Myles Price of the Minnesota Vikings leads the league in total return yards (423) and ranks third in yards per return (30.2).

One interesting nugget is despite the overall success teams are having on kickoff returns, there has yet to be a kickoff return touchdown thus far. There were six during the 2025 season.

The NFL originally implemented the dynamic kickoff in 2024, but it really took off last season after owners voted to approve a rule change that spotted the ball at the 35-yard line on touchbacks instead of the 30-yard line.