Getting rid of the kickoff

[hermes]

no more kickoffs would mean the end of cordarrelle patterson's career i fear

[RalphWiggum]

If the NFL really cared about player health then the topic of expanding to 18 regular season games (with a full pre-season) wouldn't come up as often as it does. I understand the potential of injury that exists on kickoff/punt returns; but in terms of actual injuries how much more frequent/severe are injuries in those situations?

I don't have the numbers but on a per play basis I'd guess a more injuries occur on kickoffs that are returned than any other play.

[Curmudgeon]

The NFL is really dumb. If you want the ball kicked into the end zone, the rule should be that the ball comes out to the 15, not the 25. Just about every NFL kicker can get the ball out of the end zone, especially in these domed stadiums where there is no wind.

If the ball comes out to the 25, there is absolutely no incentive for eliminating the runback. Smart coaches will have their kickers aim for high kicks that come down just in front of the goal line.