The most exciting play in football may not exist in a few years.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was profiled this week in a cover story for TIME magazine and spoke about a range of different issues, including the elimination of kickoffs from football.
The magazine reported on a meeting between Goodell and Rich McKay, the head of the league's competition committee, in which the two discussed an idea that was proposed by Tampa Bay head coach Greg Schiano earlier this year that would eliminate kickoffs and returns.
According to the magazine, "TIME sat in on meeting between Goodell and Rich McKay, head of the NFL's powerful competition committee. Goodell brought up a proposal promoted by Greg Schiano, coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: after a touchdown or field goal, instead of kicking off, a team would get the ball on its own 30-yard line, where it's fourth-and-15. The options are either to go for it and try to retain possession, or punt. If you go for it and fall short, the opposing team would take over with good field position. In essence, punts would replace kickoffs, and punts are less susceptible to violent collisions than kickoffs."
Goodell didn't explicitly say that kickoffs would be eliminated and this plan would be put in place, but it is something that the league will discuss in the future.
"The fact is, it's a much different end of the play," Goodell said during the meeting, according to Time Magazine.
Schiano has been vocal about the issue for a couple years after dealing with the aftermath of a serious injury to Rutgers player Eric LeGrand while he was still the head coach of the school.
In October 2010, LeGrand broke two vertebrae and suffered a serious spinal cord injury while covering a kickoff against Army. He has been an inspiration to many while recovering and has been able to stand upright with the help of a metal frame.
"I believe that day will come," Schiano said earlier this season to ESPN the Magazine. "Unfortunately, it will probably take more players being seriously hurt. But I think there's another way to do this."
New York Giants owner John Mara also spoke about eliminating kickoffs earlier this season.
"We had a lot of discussions about whether we should eliminate it, and if we did, what we could do in its place," Mara said to the team's official website. "There's no consensus on it right now, but I could see the day in the future where that play could be taken out of the game."
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the kickoff rule change has greatly impacted the frequency of kicks being returned. "After 10 straight seasons in which at least 80 percent of kicks were returned, just 53.0 percent have been returned since the change. A small change in the kickoff location had a significant impact on the number of returns after just one year."
Although Schiano's idea is a radical one, it could be something that prevents injuries like LeGrand's from ever happening again.
Goodell said to Time Magazine that the proposal is "an off-the-wall idea. It's different and makes you think differently. It did me."
The kickoff has been a hotly debated topic in football circles in recent years and the NFL took action before last season to change the rules, moving kicks from the 30-yard line to the 35 and required the coverage unit to start within five yards of the ball, which decreased the distance between the teams.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, 16.4 percent of kickoffs led to touchbacks in 2010; last year it was 43.5 percent. According to ESPN.com, "The NFL found that players suffered 40 percent fewer concussions on kickoffs in 2011, McKay told ESPN The Magazine."
The idea of eliminating kickoffs could change the careers of some NFL players, including Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester, who is considered to be the best active returner in the league and one of the most skilled special teams players in NFL history.
Hester has scored 12 career punt return touchdowns and has returned five kickoffs for touchdowns. He currently holds the NFL record for most combined career return touchdowns and the record for career punt return touchdowns.
"The kickoff always has been a tone-setter," said Kansas City returner and wide receiver Javier Arenas to ESPN the Magazine in September. "I don't know how anybody who understands the history of this game could talk about letting something like that happen."
Other players who specialize in kick and punt returns include Browns receive Joshua Cribbs, Ravens receiver Jacoby Jones, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson and Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb
"A lot of people think kickoffs are more violent than they actually are," said Giants linebacker Spencer Paysinger, one of that team's core special-teams players, according to ESPN the Magazine. "They can be brutal, but there also have been a lot of things done to improve safety. Even if you just teach different techniques -- which is happening -- it helps a lot."
The NFL has great sway over lower levels of football and a permanent rule change regarding kickoffs could affect high school, college and pee-wee football athletics.
Goodell also spoke in the interview about the situation surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs after linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his 22-year-old girlfriend Kasandra Perkins and then committed suicide life at the team's facility.
"My first thoughts weren't about football at all," Goodell said, recalling when he heard the news last Saturday morning. "This is not a football tragedy. It's a human tragedy that impacts families, loved ones and an innocent child left behind."
Goodell said he spoke to the team before deciding on whether the game should be played and decided to allow things to go as scheduled. The Chiefs won the game 27-21 over the Carolina Panthers.
"It was ultimately my decision But it was important to get the views of the players and try to honor their wishes. [Chiefs chairman] Clark [Hunt] got back to me and said [Coach] Romeo [Crennel] and the captains felt that playing the game-being together as a team and a community-was important. So that's exactly what we did."
NFL.com also reported that the league has a trust in place for Belcher's young daughter that will provide support for her through college.
Goodell spoke with the magazine about the Saints bounty scandal that has enveloped the team since the spring.
"I don't do things for public relations," Goodell told TIME. "I do things because they're the right thing to do, because I love the game ... If you want to do the popular thing, be a cheerleader."
Goodell became the NFL commissioner in 2006 and has tried to make the game of football safer for all players. He has instructed referees to penalize hits to the head and has taken a hard line on players making dangerous hits on the field through fines and suspensions.
