The NFL announced changes to the onside kick rule on Tuesday morning that will be implemented starting with the 2024 season.
The team is now declare Before an onside kick can be taken, a team must be sure that they intend to take the onside kick, and the team must be losing at the time the kick is taken, and an onside kick cannot be taken until the fourth quarter.
Under the new rules, onside kicks are limited in intent, perhaps as an opportunity for a trailing team to get the ball back late in a game when they have no other options.
Still, this new rule is absolutely terrible. Onside kicks are one of the most exciting plays in football, with the opportunity to unexpectedly change the course of a game. The excitement and unknown of the onside kick has now been almost completely eliminated. (RELATED: NFL receiver Michael Gallup surprises fans with sudden retirement)
No more surprise onside kicks or offensive coach calls early in the game. The NFL killed it. After all, one of the most exciting plays in NFL history was Pat McAfee's blitzkrieg recovery of his own onside kick. We'll probably never see a play like that again, at least not until the rules are changed back.
Never forget when Pat McAfee made that surprise onside kick 🏈☠️
pic.twitter.com/GmJQiRHFRo— Football Reels 📽 (@TheFBReels) March 27, 2024
Pat will likely have something to say about the change when his show airs at noon.
