The NFL’s competition committee has decided to move a touchback up five yards from the 20 to the 25 yard line. The move will be treated as a one year experiment but lets be honest, its here to stay. The league has been trying to move away from kickoffs and kick returns the last few years and this is the most significant step towards achieving that goal.

Believe it or not, I don’t have any issue with it. Kickoff have already been taken out of the game with the kickoff being moved up a few years ago. Its really not that important of a play in the game of football. I know the so called “purists” of the game are going to bitch and moan that the game is soft now, but its not. The game is still great. Sure, some of the strategy has been taken out of it but the game can survive without kick-offs and kick returns. Besides, the jackoffs who defend kickoffs are people who have probably never run down to cover a kick or block on a kick return team.

The game needs to be safer. With the NFL acknowledging that there is a link between playing football and CTE, the league will continue to take measures to make the game safer. Even if it means altering the way the game is played. To the purist out there I say. SHUT UP! Would you prefer no NFL? Take what you can get. Trust me, I’ve been in football for over 20 years as a coach and analyst. The game is changing. Get used to it.