Kansas City made an interesting signing at wide receiver/running back.
Schultz goes on to explain that the Chiefs weren’t the only team with interest in Rees-Zammit:
“Louis Rees-Zammit fielded interest from quite a few NFL teams — also visiting the Jets, Browns and Broncos. Enticing signing for the Chiefs to land LRZ, who’s only 23 years old.”
As to why the Chiefs were interested in making the signing, Schultz gives a good reason:
Louis Rees-Zammit returning rugby-style kickoffs for the Chiefs?
League owners recently approved changes to the NFL kickoff rules.
Kickoffs will remain at the 35-yard line, but the remaining 10 players for the kicking team will line up at the opponent’s 40-yard line, which is the “kickoff start line.” The receiving team will be able to have at least seven players in the “setup zone,” which is a 5-yard area between their own 35-yard and 30-yard lines.
There is also the landing zone, which is between the receiving team’s goal line and its 20-yard line. The ball bouncing in the landing zone would prompt action off of the NFL kickoff.
Any kick that hits in the landing zone has to be returned, and any kick that hits before the landing zone would result in a touchback to the 40, which is the same as if a kick went out of bounds in the past. That change has an effect on squib kicks.
If a kick hits the landing zone and rolls into the end zone and is downed, it is a touchback to the 20-yard line. If a kick lands in the end zone or goes out of the back, it’s a touchback to the 35-yard line instead of 25, which is what the spot was previously. Fair-catch signals are not allowed.
For onside kicks, the trailing team will have the opportunity to declare an onside kick to the officials, where current rules would apply.
All of this adds up to a kickoff that’s more similar to the XFL or even rugby, which is why the Chiefs’ signing of Louis Rees-Zammit is so intriguing.
When reading all of the details of the new kickoff rule, the NFL’s goal is to clearly increase the number of returns while keeping the number of injuries to a minimum. Over the years, the tweaking of the kickoff rules to decrease injuries have resulted in a stark decline in number of returns, so this is a way for the league to try to bring excitement back to the kickoff while still prioritizing player safety.
Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting “The Pulse with Peter Sampson” in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer’s Edge and XRAY.FM – where his show “Blazer’s Edge Radio” was named “Portland’s Best Sports Radio” in the 2017 Willamette Week reader’s poll. When he’s not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.
