Gunner Olszewski is no fan of people in “lab coats” messing with his livelihood and he made no bones about his displeasure with the new kickoff rules in the NFL. According to Chris Adamski from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Olszewski sounded off on the NFL’s newest attempt to make kickoffs safer by allowing players to signal for a fair catch on kickoffs. The rule gives the receiving team possession at the 25-yard line for a fair catch behind that line. The rule aims to lessen the amount of kick returns, which reportedly lead to more injuries, specifically concussions.
But Olszewski was having none of that talk and doesn’t appreciate people who don’t play the game making decisions for those that do. “The ‘lab coats’ are changing our game,” Olszewski told Adamski after Pittsburgh Steelers minicamp wrapped up Thursday. “They never played football, and now they’re making decisions for us. It feels wrong. And it feels like we have no power. The owners voted on it. Those guys are deciding how we play now.”
It appears that Olszewski understands that special teams are a niche that can keep a fringe player such as himself on a roster. These new rules could lessen the value of guys like him who make their bones on special teams. He sees the writing on the wall and clearly wants special teamers to have input on how the game is played.
“I think we definitely need to have more of a voice, not just special teamers but players in general,” Olszewski said. “They’re trying to change our game. For us — the current players — not to have a say is wrong.”
He also called on the players union to give guys who earn their living through special teams to get a seat at the table in regard to rule changes.
“The PA (players’ union) doesn’t give us a chance to vote on anything like that. The rule is the rule. I’m not looking to complain about it. I hate it. I think it stinks for guys who are (special) teamers and guys who try to go out and get jobs and make a name for themselves. They’re taking chances away from us.”
Olszewski isn’t the only one voicing his displeasure over the new rule. Others around the league, including Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, are also making their dissent known. But the NFL is clearly focused on player safety and limiting concussions regardless of how it changes the game. The powers-that-be have continued to implement rules to help protect quarterbacks, receivers and ball carriers that have caused players to change the way they play.
Time will tell how the new rule truly affects the game. Kickoffs already seemed few and far between with most kickers booming kickoffs out of the end zone. It most likely will limit even further the likelihood of any kind of return. And that could put guys like Olszewski on the unemployment line as opportunities to apply their specialized craft diminish. For now, the rule is only in place for 2023 and would have to be approved for future seasons. Hopefully for guys like Olszewski, the rule will be “one and done” and special teamers will continue to have a role in the NFL moving forward.
