ESPN.com · Oct 2, 2025
2025 NFL kickoffs: Rules change led to most returns in history
The NFL appears to have fixed concerns with the kickoff. Now the league will have to hope it doesn't break again.
A year after a major overhaul and six months after a seemingly minor tweak, teams have returned 78.3% of kickoffs during the first four weeks of the season -- the highest rate over that period in 19 years. The NFL has seen 519 kickoff returns, the most through Week 4 in its history.
