Three weeks ago today, Kyle Shanahan had a chance to make history. Before the surprise onside kick became history.
In the aftermath of the kick-receive-defer decision after the 49ers won the coin toss to start overtime against the Chiefs, we suggested the possibility of choosing to kick — and of unleashing a Sean Payton in Super Bowl LIV-style surprise onside kick.
To little surprise, the effort to make the kickoff into a relevant play possibly will include the extinction of the surprise onside kick.
Per multiple reports, the proposal that the Competition Committee is finalizing will require a team attempting an onside kick to declare its intention to do so in advance.
It’s the sacrifice that might have to be made to allow the NFL to balance health/safety concerns against the kickoff becoming nothing more than an automatic touchback.
Still, it’s a shame that one of the most thrilling plays in football might be scrapped. That’s why we (or at least I) continue to be intrigued by the kickoff being replaced by a fourth-and-long scrimmage play, from which the kicking team/offense can punt or go for it or do a fake punt or a pooch punt or whatever it chooses. It keeps the element of surprise in the game.
Here’s the problem. Too many non-football people in the league office are more concerned about liability and P.R. than the game. Yes, it’s dangerous to play pro football. People still play it. The idea of carving out the surprise onside kick in the name of protecting players from risks they’re willing to assume won’t sit well with plenty of people.
I get it. They want to make the game safer. But when making the game safer fundamentally changes the game, that’s a problem.
The looming kicking proposal will become the first safety-related rule that eliminates one of the things that periodically made football very exciting.
If the NFL goes too far with rules changes that change the game, it will risk inviting a competing league. One that will play in the fall. One that will play football the way the NFL used to. I’m amazed it hasn’t happened yet.
Maybe someone who is sitting on a mountain of cash but who can’t buy an NFL team should think about it. An Old-School Football League. Plenty would hate it. Plenty would love it. And the NFL would have good reason to fear it.
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