Much of the focus on the NFL's new kickoff return has been on the speedsters who will be the ones returning, but the Kansas City Chiefs might change their approach when it comes to who will be the one kicking the ball.
Safety Justin Reid revealed the reigning Super Bowl champions are "planning" on him being the one to do the kickoffs instead of normal kicker Harrison Butker.
"The advantage for us is that if I'm doing the job—which is what we're planning on doing—then I can fill that last gap, so it makes it a little bit easier and nobody needs to win two gaps," Reid said during an appearance on Chris Long's Green Light podcast (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).
The rule was put in place to increase the number of returns while theoretically decreasing injury chances by having players line up closer to each other and preventing anyone but the kicker and returner from moving until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone.
There will also be no fair catches, and touchbacks are placed on the 30-yard line in an effort to discourage kicking teams from just hitting it through the end zone.
With more returns comes more opportunities for kickers to tackle, which isn't an ideal situation for those teams that are kicking off.
Enter Reid, who is accustomed to tackling as a safety and has been used as a kicker in the past when Butker was sidelined.
Butker is also apparently fine with the plan.
"We're in a great place with it," Reid said. "Although I know he can make some tackles, I think he's excited to preserve himself, and we can use him where we really need him, which is those fourth-quarter situations to go nail a 60-yard field goal and win the game. It would be devastating to try and trot a guy out there who's still nicked up from trying to make a tackle in the second quarter."
Reid is 1-for-2 in extra points in his career and has also kicked off seven times. Five of those seven kickoffs resulted in a touchback, underscoring his ability to strike the ball with enough power to avoid problematic field-position situations.
The 27-year-old even said kicking off like this "might have added some time to my career," so it could be a win-win for everyone involved.
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