Finhead's Musings: Removing the kickoff would end careers.

I'm going to keep this one simple and get straight to the point. John Mara, owner of the New York Giants and a member of the Competition Committee, announced the NFL has held preliminary discussions to remove the kickoff from the game. Why would they do this? Because it would further reduce the chances of a concussion.

Why do I think this is a bad idea? Is it because it would eliminate excitement from the game? It would, but that isn't the only reason. Is it because it would have a negative impact on the Miami Dolphins since they are so great returning kickoffs? You know that can't be the case. Why? Because it would end careers. I already know what people are thinking. They believe that I would be wrong because less concussions would preserve careers. In some instances, you're right. In some scenarios, that'd be wrong?

Remember those guys like Dante Hall, Joshua Cribbs, and Devin Hester? Where do you think they would be if they would be if it wasn't for their return prowess? While they could've stayed around for punt returns, they would undoubtedly have faced a much tougher road for a prolonged NFL career with such a major part of their game gone.

Let's go beyond the return men though. Some of the players in the NFL, like Larry Izzo, Courtney Roby, and others would have a lot less of a chance for having a career. Why? Because those players made a living by being special teams standouts. You'd still have a few players for their special teams abilities, primarily at gunner, but the number of players that are kept around their ability on special teams would be greatly reduced. You'd lose the players that are able to bust through a wedge and the players that are capable of laying the lick on a charging coverage player. Instead we'd see rosters full of younger prospects that teams hope could one day start on offense or defense instead of providing an advantage on special teams. It may not be a big deal to fans, but that is worrying to many current football players.

How would you think the futures of Joshua Cribbs and Courtney Roby would unfold if they removed kickoffs? I think their future would be pretty bleak.

The NFL has already done a good job at reducing concussions on kickoffs with their new rules. They will never remove concussions from the game completely unless they rid themselves of the sport completely. Concussions are, and always will be, a part of football. NFL fans don't want to lose the kickoff because of the excitement it would deprive fans of. NFL players don't want to lose the kickoff because they could lose a career.

Besides, this may only be the first step. What's next? Will the NFL prevent QBs from scrambling beyond the line of scrimmage if Tom Brady pulls a hamstring on a scramble? The seed has been planted...