Former Kicker Jay Feely Believes NFL Will See Fewer Touchbacks

Earlier this offseason, the league opted during the Owners Meetings to adopt a new year on a one-year trial basis to tweak the rules on kickoff returns, awarding return teams the 25-yard line, rather than the 20-yard line, upon registering a touchback.

The rationale behind the decision was aimed toward reducing the number of kickoffs that get returned, in doing so reducing the number of what many regard as the most dangerous play in the game, given the frequency of high-speed collision that occur.

The league already began moving in this direction in 2011 when they opted to move the line of scrimmage on kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line. According to an article on NFL.com by…