Anonymous NFL HC: Onside Kick Alternative Could Lead to Clock Manipulation

The NFL included an alternative to the onside kick in a list of rule-change proposals sent to teams last week:

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer addressed the potential change with head coaches around the league and received responses from both ends of the spectrum, but one coach was especially hesitant.

"There are some interesting scenarios that could arise," the head coach texted Breer. "Take the lead with 5 seconds left, choose the 4th-and-15 option and run out the clock. ... Up by a score with 10 seconds left, instead of squibbing, take the 4th-and-15, run as much time off as possible, take a safety then kick with only a couple seconds left."

The Denver Broncos proposed the option to attempt a 4th-and-15 from the attempting team's 35-yard line once per game in place of the onside kick in March 2019, but the league rejected it.

However, there is reason to believe a change could be worth trying.

"Only eight of 63 (12.7 percent) onside kick attempts in the NFL were recovered in 2019, per NFL Research," NFL.com's Grant Gordon relayed earlier Monday. "As for fourth-and-15s last year, only seven were attempted and only two were converted, but it was still a higher percentage at 28.6."

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes seemed excited by the possible switch, while Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was torn:

NFL owners will vote on this year's proposal Thursday.