The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying everything they can to make sure they are prepared to tackle the brand new kickoff rule head-on. For starters, Cordarrelle Patterson has to learn how to return in this system that might end up being completely different from the rest of his long career, and Danny Smith is giving him every type of drill that he could imagine. There's also the other end of the spectrum, where Chris Boswell has to figure out how to be the most effective with the new rules.
On his debut episode of The Christian Kuntz Podcast, Christian Kuntz talks about how kickers will be affected by the new rules. He also brings up something that Boswell is doing to prepare for his new role.
"There was a stat that said, like 17% of kickoffs in the XFL, the kicker made the tackle, or at least was in on the tackle. That's a crazy number... Yeah, [Chris Boswell] is bulking. He can tackle. He'll get in there."
Not only will Boswell have to focus on being more precise with his kickoffs by hitting it into the "landing zone," but he will most likely have to be called upon to throw his body around a bit and make some plays. It used to be a spectacle when a kicker or punter would make a big tackle, but with the kickoffs changing to the XFL/UFL-style, it may become the new norm.
You never really hear stories of kickers in the weight room, but that will most likely change. There are always videos of other positions going all in with working out, so it will be interesting to see which kickoff specialists show off first. If Boswell can hit like Kuntz said he could, he might be the first one you see.
With all the time that the specialists spend either practicing their kicks/snaps or just watching from the sideline, they can find some space to work on tackling drills along with the defensive players.
Steelers Also Need To Beware Of Risks Of Kicker Tackling
Kuntz also brought up the fact that because of the kickers having to tackle more often, the risk of them getting injured will increase significantly. Sure, Boswell might have the ability to throw his body around and deliver a good hit, but that's still not what you want to see in a kicker. The Steelers saw what happened when Pressley Harvin III had to do kickoffs for Boswell when he was injured, and they don't want to see that again.
Because of the increased risk, as well as the fact that most teams only carry one kicker during the season, there could be a chance that the Steelers, as well as other teams, keep an extra kicker on the practice squad. Matthew Wright is back on the practice squad, and with his experience in the NFL, it may be the right move to keep him around during the season.
Either way, the whole NFL will have a lot of adapting to do with the new kickoff rules. Boswell will have to be ready to hit someone for once, as opposed to recent years, where kickoffs often resulted in a touchback. He will have to work out, condition, and practice like he's playing linebacker on the side.
