One of the newest and most controversial changes implemented this offseason was the kickoff rule allowing teams to fair catch the ball and start at their 25. During Movin’ The Chains with Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan, both Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and owner Art Rooney II were asked about the rule. Tomlin was asked if special teams coordinator Danny Smith might tip his hand about how the Steelers will approach kickoffs during the preseason.
“I can’t speak for everyone, but that old warhorse will not,” Tomlin said, laughing. “You won’t see anything from Danny Smith. Everything will be right down the middle. But stay tuned come September.”
Rooney thinks the rule will be “interesting to see.”
“Danny’s nervous about it, but Danny’s nervous about everything. So nothing new there. But we’ve looked at the rule a lot of different ways and have watched what some of the other leagues are doing with the kickoff and punt rules,” Rooney said. “It’ll be interesting to see how it goes this year.”
The rule was put in place to help try to prevent injuries, namely concussions, on kickoffs. It’s going to change the way kickoffs are approached in the NFL, and the Steelers are going to need to have a plan of attack for how to field kickoffs and defend kickoffs.
Tomlin’s answer about “stay tuned come September” was interesting, but it doesn’t sound like we’ll get many hints about what Pittsburgh will do during its three preseason games. Smith, Pittsburgh’s special teams coach since 2013, won’t want to tip his hand, and rightfully so. It doesn’t make much sense to give away the Steelers’ strategy in games that don’t count in the wins and loss department, but there’s no doubt that Smith will have a plan of attack.
There was a lot of pushback about the rule before it was officially implemented, and it’ll be a trial run for this year and next offseason the league will decide if it becomes a permanent change. But for the Steelers, with an unsettled return situation, it’s going to make things just a little bit harder as they look to find their kick returner for the 2023 season.
But Smith is a veteran coach, and while he might be nervous about it, I’m confident he’ll figure things out. It’s a new rule for every team, and everyone in the same boat with trying to figure out. Between Tomlin and Smith, I’m sure the Steelers can find a way to get creative and use the rule as a benefit to them.
