What is the average kick return in the NFL?
about 24 yards
And it makes sense, because the average kick return is about 24 yards, and extra air time on shorter-than-usual kicks would give coverage units extra time to reach the return man.
Who leads the NFL in kick returns?
NFL Career Leaders – Kickoff Return Yards
| Kickoff Returns | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Yds | |
| 1. | Brian MitchellB. Mitchell, 1990-03 | 14,014 |
| 2. | Allen RossumA. Rossum, 1998-09 | 11,947 |
| 3. | Joshua CribbsJ. Cribbs, 2005-15 | 11,113 |
What NFL team has the best kick return?
The New York Jets had the most kick-return yards by a team in 2021, with 1,371 yards.
| TEAM | SEASON | PR YDS/G |
|---|---|---|
| New York Jets | 2021 | 12.1 |
| Chicago Bears | 2021 | 19.9 |
| Houston Texans | 2021 | 11.1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2021 | 11.1 |
Did the NFL move kickoff back?
After a period where 84.9 percent of all kickoffs were returned, just 51.5 percent have been returned since 2011. In the 2013 season the return rate fell to 48.0 percent — likely the first time in NFL history fewer than half of all kickoffs were returned.
What is highest kick return average?
30.6 per return
Gale Sayers has the most career yards per kick return, averaging 30.6 per return.
What’s a good kick return average?
Kick & Punt Returns League Averages Per Team Game
| Kick Returns | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rk | Year | Yds |
| 1 | 2021 | 44.9 |
| 2 | 2020 | 43.7 |
| 3 | 2019 | 41.2 |
Who is the best kick returner?
The NFL’s top seven kick returners
- Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs.
- Jalen Richard, Oakland Raiders.
- Brandon Tate, Buffalo Bills.
- Jakeem Grant, Miami Dolphins.
- Quan Bray, Indianapolis Colts.
- Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks.
- Marcus Sherels, Minnesota Vikings.
When did the NFL change the kickoff?
The kickoff rules took effect in 2018 and were made permanent for the 2019 season. One of the most noticeable changes to the kickoff rule is the start position: the kickoff team must have five players on each side of the ball and cannot line up more than one yard from the restraining line.
Why was the touchback rule changed?
In 2016, the NFL moved touchbacks up five yards, from the 20 to the 25-yard line. The idea behind that move was, similar to the change the NCAA just made, to take away a team’s incentive for returning the ball. They made that rule change permanent in 2017.
What is San Francisco’s highest kick-return average?
Abe Woodson is the San Francisco 49ers career leader in kickoff return average with 29.36. Players active with the San Francisco 49ers during the 2021 NFL season are listed in bold.
What percentage of kickoffs are returned?
Share All sharing options for: Kickoffs, kickoff coverage and touchbacks
| Year | Kickoffs | RET% |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 79 | 30.4% |
| 2017 | 71 | 28.2% |
| 2018 | 73 | 38.4% |
| 2019 | 72 | 23.6% |
Who has the most kickoff returns for touchdowns in the NFL?
Devin Hester
Devin Hester has the most career touchdown returns, with 20 touchdown returns.
| NAME | GP | PR |
|---|---|---|
| Devin Hester | 156 | 315 |
| Deion Sanders | 188 | 212 |
| Rod Woodson | 238 | 260 |
| Ronde Barber | 241 | 3 |
Who has the most punt and kick returns for touchdowns?
Brian Mitchell He also has nine punt returns for TDs. Mitchell is tied for the NFL record for kick and punt returns for touchdowns with 13.
Why did the kick off change?
The justification for this rule-change was that “[r]ecent law changes have made the kick-off more dynamic (e.g. a goal can be scored directly from the kick-off) so captains winning the toss often ask to take the kick-off.”
Why did they move the kickoff up?
In 2011, the league voted to move kickoffs up from the 30-yard line to the 35. The idea behind that move to reduce the number of kicks that got returned in favor of more touchbacks. That rule change also cut down the running start that players on the coverage team could take to five yards.
When was the kickoff rule change?
In 2010, the NFL passed two significant rule changes to kickoffs. Teams would now kick off from the 35-yard line, which was the case from 1974 until 1994 when the NFL moved kickoffs back to the 30-yard line. Also, players on the kickoff team were no longer allowed to get any more than a five-yard head start.