The Chiefs plan to shake up their kicking situation in 2024.
No, they aren't moving on from kicker Harrison Butker even in the wake of his controversial comments. Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub told reporters this week that they'll utilize safety Justin Reid as a kickoff kicker in some situations because of the NFL's new rules. The NFL is implementing XFL-style kickoffs for a one-year trial in 2024 — something Toub said will force kickers into tackling situations more than ever before.
This is where Reid comes in. The safety has kicked for the Chiefs in the past. He kicked for Butker a few times in 2022, including going 1-for-2 on extra points and a touchback on a kickoff in Week 1. Reid attempted six other kicks that season for 445 total yards — four of which resulted in touchbacks. Reid knows tackling during his time as a safety where he's tallied almost 500 combined tackles in six seasons.
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Reid appears to be all-in on his new role. During the Chiefs' trip to the White House following the team's second consecutive Super Bowl victory, Reid told reporters that he can't wait to start contributing more in kickoffs this season.
"Well there's this great new kickoff rule that's really going to allow me to shine," Reid said Friday. "So I'm excited."
The new rule, in a nutshell, allows for two scenarios on kickoffs: Either the kicking team will kick a touchback and give the receiving team the ball at the 35-yard line or a kick will land in a specific zone that will allow both teams to engage in your standard special teams return situation.
Reid is important to this because, as Toub said the other day, kickers will effectively be the last line of defense in more kickoffs than ever before and the Chiefs don't want to put Butker in a situation where he's attempting to tackle a ball-carrier too often. Reid is an adept enough kicker to place the ball in the landing zone and then make a tackle if necessary on the coverage team.
The new rule will certainly be one of the bigger storylines to follow this season, especially as teams sign players who could make an impact. The Chiefs signed Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit to return kicks given his speed, while the Jets signed Pro Bowl running back Tarik Cohen and the Steelers added Cordarrelle Patterson, a four-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl return man.
