Patriots’ Jalen Reagor Salivating At New Kickoff Rules

The NFL kickoff will be undergoing a dramatic change for the 2024 season, and Patriots return specialist Jalen Reagor could not be happier.

“There’s just one line of defense now. I feel like that’s bad for the kickoff team. It’s bad,” Reagor told reporters on Tuesday, per team-provided video. “Great for me, great for me.”

The kicker will set the ball up at his own 35-yard line, and after kicking it, he won’t be able to cross midfield until the ball is in play when either the receiver catches it or the ball hits the ground. The other 10 players on the kicking team will line up at the receiving team’s 40-yard line. They will have to have five players on each side of the ball, leaving them unable to load up on one side.

Given the way the defenders have to line up, Reagor believes he has the upper hand before the defenders can even reach him on the field.

“By that time, I’m going to be up like, 20 MPH,” he said. “If they miss … it’s over.”

Under the new rules, the receiving team can have two returners back to field the ball, but if they decide to use just one, the extra player will line up between the 30- and 35-yard line with the other players.

The 25-year-old wideout said one of the challenges the new rules present is the receiver not anticipating what the kicking team will do up field.

“It’s more of a natural thing,” he said. “It’s reactive. You don’t want to try to anticipate something. It’s just trying to read it clear and let it happen.”

Reagor returned seven kickoffs for 221 yards with a 98-yard touchdown last season with the Patriots under the old rules. He had seven catches for 138 yards and one 17-yard carry in his first season for New England.