Justin Reid has spent a lot of his NFL profession making an attempt to stop receivers from catching the soccer or scoring touchdowns. However the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs security says he is now getting ready to enter the subsequent section of his profession — dealing with kickoffs.
The 2-time Tremendous Bowl champion defensive again says he’s slated to turn out to be the Chiefs’ go-to for kickoffs in 2024. Kicker Harrison Butker has been the crew’s major choice for kickoffs since he arrived in 2017.
Nonetheless, the NFL is ready to implement new guidelines which are anticipated to considerably alter kickoffs within the upcoming season.
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Security Justin Reid of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs kicks off throughout the sport towards the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sept. 11, 2022. (Norm Corridor/Getty Photographs)
The brand new guidelines will successfully discourage groups from kicking the ball into the alternative finish zone for a touchback, which must also enhance the frequency of returns.
Reid has seven profession kickoff makes an attempt as he has stuffed in for Butker at instances when the kicker was out as a consequence of damage.
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Reid touted his tackling potential when discussing potential benefits he may have on kickoffs.
“The benefit for us is that if I’m doing the job — which is what we’re planning on doing — then I can fill that final hole, so it makes it somewhat bit simpler and no person must win two gaps,” Reid stated on a current episode of the podcast “Inexperienced Mild with Chris Lengthy.”
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy makes an attempt to keep at bay Kansas Metropolis Chiefs security Justin Reid throughout Tremendous Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports activities Illustrated through Getty Photographs)
Butker will now be capable to focus solely on area objectives.
“We’re in an excellent place with it,” Reid stated. “Though I do know [Butker] could make some tackles, I feel he’s excited to protect himself, and we will use him the place we actually want him, which is these fourth-quarter conditions to go nail a 60-yard area objective and win the sport. It might be devastating to try to trot a man on the market who’s nonetheless nicked up from making an attempt to make a sort out within the second quarter.”
Harrison Butker of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs makes an attempt to kick a area objective throughout Tremendous Bowl LVII towards the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. (Michael Owens/Getty Photographs)
Per the brand new kickoff guidelines, the ball could be kicked from the 35-yard line with 10 different members of particular groups lined up on the opposing 40-yard line. 5 gamers will likely be lined up on either side of the sphere.
The return crew could have not less than 9 blockers lined up within the so-called “arrange zone” between the 30- and 35-yard traces. No less than seven of these gamers will likely be touching the 35-yard line. Two returners will likely be allowed inside their very own 20-yard line.
Solely the kicker and the 2 returners could be allowed to maneuver till both the ball hits the bottom or is touched by a returner contained in the 20-yard line.
Chiefs particular groups coordinator Dave Toub stated the brand new guidelines put an emphasis on having a dependable tackler working from the 35-yard line.
“Justin can cowl, he can kick, and he can go down there and make tackles,” Toub stated. “He is an additional man they’re in all probability not accounting for. … A man like Justin is a man they’ve to fret about. They need to get him blocked, and so they have to surrender blocking another person.”
Reid added that kicking methods will likely be “fully flipped” in 2024.
“The entire dynamic of grasp time has fully flipped,” he stated. “Usually, on kickoff, kickers are nice at making an attempt to have a four-second grasp time to offer guys time to get down the sphere, however now you are making an attempt to maintain the ball as little as doable whereas nonetheless in play. You are making an attempt to get it to hit the bottom as a result of when the ball hits the bottom, that is now your grasp time. Guys can take off at that time and nonetheless a lot time it takes the returner to choose up the ball, that is them losing time.”
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Reid hopes his potential to kick off helps lengthen his NFL profession.
“We would have added a while to my profession. You may’ve prolonged my present a pair years,” Reid stated. “After I’m completed being the beginning man on security, I can flip into that rotational third security and in addition be a kickoff specialist.”
The brand new kickoff guidelines will endure a trial run this upcoming season and will likely be topic to renewal for 2025.
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