A New Dawn for the NFL Kickoff – Philadelphia Sports Nation

How Will the New Rules Benefit An Already Explosive Eagles Offense?

In January of 2016 — Doug Pederson began the arduous process of evaluating and turning over the Chip Kelly’s roster. Kelly had gone through the same process back in 2013 when Head Coach Andy Reid left Philadelphia after fourteen seasons.

One of the more intriguing prospects on the roster was former Oregon talent and wide receiver Josh Huff. Under Chip Kelly at Oregon, Huff was nearly unstoppable on the field. In Kelly’s fast-paced offense, he caught 144 passes for nearly 2,400 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career in the Ducks’ offense. As a senior, he earned All-Pac 12 Conference honors and broke a 43-year record with 1,140 yards receiving.

As a professional — Huff was a roller coaster. At times, showcasing his incredible athleticism and speed, at other times fading away into the void of unproductivity combined with off-field issues.

Against the Tennessee Titans in 2014, Huff set an Eagles record on the professional level with a 107-yard touchdown return on the opening kickoff of the game. In 2016 against the Minnesota Vikings, Huff returned a second quarter kickoff 98 yards to the house. During that same season, Wendell Smallwood returned a second quarter kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown against the Washington Football Team after a penalty forced Washington to kickoff from the 35 instead of the 20 yard line.

This season in the NFL, the excitement of the kickoff return is back. The new 2024 rule states that all kickoffs are from the 35 yard line with 10 players on the 40-yard line. This already energizing an Eagles offense that was ranked eighth in the league last year, has the best receiving duo’s in the league, as well as one of its best running backs. Flipping the field position is a gift for an offense like the Eagles who have the potential for chunks of yardage on any given play.

In November of 2016 — after Huff was arrested when drugs were found in his vehicle — the Eagles released the dynamic special teams player and wide receiver. After stints with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Josh Huff was released in again in August of 2018. Huff would then play in both the CFL and AFF until his contract was not renewed in 2022.

Could the speed of Britain Covey and Cooper DeJean not only setup the Eagles offense with a short field but put up some points of their own?

When asked about the new NFL kickoff rule in the spring, Eagles Special Teams Coordinator Michael Clay said, “We have to use it as a weapon.”

Yup. Dangerous.