Matthew Slater Comments on NFL's Changes to Kickoff Rules

New England Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater is worried the NFL may do away with kickoff returns completely.  

The five-time Pro Bowler said Thursday it may become extinct because of the NFL's newest rule change to move touchbacks to the 25-yard line.

"I'm very disappointed, obviously, in the way we're discussing the future of the kickoff," Slater said, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. "The kickoff is a big part of the history of the NFL and the history of football. For us to be sitting here talking about maybe doing away with the kickoff, it's very disappointing."

On March 23, NFL owners agreed to move touchbacks five yards up. The NFL last adjusted kickoff rules in 2011, when it moved kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line. There were 390 more touchbacks than kickoff returns last year, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com.

Slater shared his thoughts on the evolving rules: "Field position is big in the game of football. If you're just handing some of the great quarterbacks in this league an extra five yards, I think it certainly changes the game. ... You're adding an additional 5 percent of the field to the offense. I don't feel like that's the best thing for the game."

Beyond football itself, Slater touched on what kickoffs mean for him personally:

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I can think about days all the way back to watching my dad and thinking of returners like Ron Brown and people of that nature that made a career out of doing this. [...] The kicking game has meant a lot to the game of football and a lot of players individually and has enabled guys to have careers. 

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The moment before a kickoff is one of the most exciting parts of football. Even if the rule changes remove some of the excitement, the league will consider them a success if they can improve player safety.

"I understand they're trying to do what's best in terms of health and safety, and I respect that," Slater said. "There's nothing more important than the health and safety of our players, but I do not think the kickoff is a hazard that we need to be thinking of getting rid of."

Regardless of what happens, Slater is a special teams ace, and no kickoffs would eliminate the need for a guy like that.