SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brian Schneider said Wednesday he is in a 32-team race to determine how to take advantage of a radically different kickoff procedure the NFL will adopt this year.
“It’s exciting. I mean, I’m excited,” said the San Francisco 49ers special teams coordinator, who spoke for the first time since the kickoff rules were changed in March. “It’s the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me in my coaching career because – what do you do? You have a great opportunity to do something that’s never been done before. so a race to find out.
The new format is similar to how the rebooted XFL handled kickoffs in that it places the bulk of the kicking and returning teams within a few yards of each other. While the ball is kicked from the kicking team’s 35-yard line, the rest of the coverage unit lines up at the opponent’s 40-yard line. At least nine returning team members will be lined up in front of them, with up to two returners lined up further back.
(Drew Jordan / The Athletics)
The rule change is designed to spur more action – and perhaps more points – in what had become a largely uneventful game. The kick must fall in a so-called landing zone between the 20 meter line and the goal line. Fair catches are not permitted.
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Schneider and special teams captain George Odum were quick to acknowledge how different — and strange — the new returns are. Under the old rule, all members of the coverage team moved in unison with the kicker; under the new one, everyone except the kicker must remain still until the ball lands.
“It’s like the music came on, it’s like ‘The Twilight Zone,’” Schneider said. “And then when it happens, it’s really fast.”
I’ve criticized the NFL on a lot of things…but adopting the XFL’s kickoff is a good move.
I would love to see college football adopt it as well. pic.twitter.com/odwY8Yqo2g
– Jon Tweet Sports (@jontweetssports) March 26, 2024
“It’s going to be the easiest job in the NFL,” Odum said of the return man. “Because no one else is moving.” You never have to worry about being hit. You just have to catch the ball and now you run. I can put my little sister back there and she will reach at least 20 years old.
This change will likely change the composition of the coverage and return teams. In previous years, light-footed defensive backs and linebackers were favored on coverage teams because they could move downfield quickly, swerve to avoid blockers and change direction quickly.
“The difference is that this year there will be a lot of difficulties,” Odum said. “There will be contact with a player on every play, and you will fight to get out (of the block). So we need to find a different technique to get in quickly so everyone can go out and eat.
The 49ers believe they have one of the key pieces – kicker – covered in Jake Moody. They picked him in the third round last year in part because he was accurate on kickoffs, not only with kick direction but also with depth.
Kicks that do not go beyond the landing zone allow the returning team to recover the ball at the 40-yard line. Kicks that land in the end zone and are not returned go to the 30. Kicks that hit in the landing zone, roll into the end zone and are not returned go to the 20. Odum has stated that the ideal kick would fall just short of the goal line and outside the numbers.
The team also has options in kick return, from Deebo Samuel — who should be adept at breaking arm tackles from coverage players who are engaged with blockers — to running backs.
Odum, who has studied XFL kickoffs, said big returns are almost always set up by crafty return men.
“It’s like Christian McCaffrey ran out of the zone or something,” he said. “He stretched the box so much that when he cut, the (defenders) chasing him were further away and he opened up an opening.”
That way, any of the team’s running backs could be a fit, with McCaffrey perhaps appearing in that role under special circumstances. He averaged 26.4 yards as a kick returner at Stanford, including a 98-yard touchdown run in 2015.
“We have a lot of guys there, a lot of new guys there and I love it – just the competition,” Schneider said. “This will all evolve depending on how I see it.”
Schneider said he has been thinking about the rule change continuously since March, but was not eager to share specific personnel strategies or decisions. On the one hand, spring and summer will be devoted to experimentation. He’s also wary of letting his competitors know about the 49ers’ approach.
He said all special teams coordinators discussed the rule change when the league was considering it early in the offseason. Since then, everyone has remained silent.
“I think everyone is holding on to their stuff,” he said. “I don’t talk to a lot of guys. I talked to a few guys I’m close to, and we kind of worked around it.
Other elements of Wednesday’s OTA practice
• Receiver Jauan Jennings, who was a restricted free agent this offseason, signed a two-year contract Wednesday that keeps him in San Francisco through the 2025 season. Jennings did not practice, but was seen on a secondary field catching passes from rookie quarterback Tanner Mordecai.
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• The 49ers once again practiced without a number of offensive starters, including three who have yet to report to the voluntary offseason program: receiver Brandon Aiyuk, McCaffrey and tackle Trent Williams. Tight end George Kittle (core muscle) and center Jake Brendel (knee) are injured.
On defense, defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner were observers Wednesday while fellow starters cornerback Charvarius Ward (middle muscle), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) and safety Talanoa Hufanga (ACL) stood. recovering from surgical operations. Hufanga made some light runs on a side field.
Others who were not seen Wednesday included defensive end Drake Jackson (knee), tight end Cameron Latu (knee), guard Jon Feliciano and offensive tackle Chris Hubbard.
• Kittle said he started dealing with his core injury around Week 9 or 10 of last year and played the rest of the season with the issue. He finished with 1,020 receiving yards, made the Pro Bowl and was named a first-team All-Pro. He said he’s on track to be ready for the start of training camp.
With Kittle out, free agent Eric Saubert and second-year player Brayden Willis alternated snaps with the first-team offense. Jake Tonges and rookie Mason Pline worked with the substitutes.
• At center, Ben Bartch worked with the first team in Brendel’s absence, Nick Zakelj with the second team and rookie Drake Nugent with the third team. Offensive line coach Chris Foerster said Bartch, who was acquired midway through last season, appears fully recovered from the ACL injury he suffered with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022.
“He looked very, very good at center and as a guard,” Foerster said. “We’ll see where he’s at when the pads are on and he’ll have to play with a little more grounding, more strength. But right now it looks like he’s been here three or four years.
• No. 1 overall draft pick Ricky Pearsall wore a blue non-contact jersey due to an undisclosed injury. That didn’t cause him to miss any practice time and didn’t seem to slow him down Wednesday. As was the case last week, Pearsall looked comfortable on offense and caught several passes from Brock Purdy, including one down the sideline that Pearsall caught in front of cornerback Isaac Yiadom, who had close coverage .
Meanwhile, fellow rookie Jacob Cowing took part in Wednesday’s session after missing last week’s practice which was open to reporters. Cowing made a nice catch in traffic on a middle throw from Purdy during seven-on-seven drills.
• Second-year cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. threw the only interception during 11-on-11 drills. Brandon Allen appeared to be targeting rookie Terique Owens deep down the left sideline, but another receiver, Ronnie Bell, was also nearby. Bell reached out and tipped the pass, which ended up going to Luter.
Purdy, meanwhile, was intercepted during seven-on-seven drills when linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles completed a short pass over the middle. Flannigan-Fowles plays middle linebacker with the first-team defense in place of Warner. Jalen Graham was the middle linebacker for the second team.
• Kittle said it was great to have Trent Taylor, another 2017 draft pick by the 49ers, back in the building. In fact, Taylor is staying with Kittle this spring.
“The fact that he knows our offense — he fits right in,” Kittle said. “So far he and Brock seem to have a good relationship.”
Taylor, Cowing, Pearsall and Bell returned punts during the special teams practice portion. The 49ers did not have a kickoff session during any of the practices open to reporters.
(Photo by Jake Moody: Stan Szeto / USA Today)