NFL kickoff rules 2026: League makes changes to onside kick, more

The NFL made a significant change to its kickoff in 2024,instituting the "dynamic kickoff"to boost the percentage of returned kicks and make one of the league's most dangerous plays safer.

The league is continuing its efforts to refine the play by tweaking its kickoff rule ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

The most notable approved rule change will allow teams to attempt an onside kick at any point during the game. In 2025, teams were only allowed to try an onside kick when trailing, so the rule change will give clubs a bit more flexibility.

NFL REFS:NFL institutes new rule to aid potential replacement officials

OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> CB Trent McDuffie: Traded to Los Angeles Rams (previous team: Kansas City Chiefs)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> RB David Montgomery: Traded to Houston Texans (previous team: Detroit Lions)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades

OT Tytus Howard:Traded to Cleveland Browns(previous team: Houston Texans)

Despite this significant change, NFL teams will still have to declare an onside kick any time they attempt one. This is necessitated by the difference of alignment between the onside kick – which uses the NFL's traditional kickoff formation – and the NFL's dynamic kickoff, where a majority of the players from each team are lined up between the receiving team's 30- and 35-yard line.

With that in mind, surprise onside kicks – like the one Sean Payton famously dialed up to start the second half of the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl 44 win over the Indianapolis Colts – will remain out of the sport.

It remains unclear whether the NFL's rule change will result in an uptick in overall onside kick attempts, or if the need to declare them – along with their overall lack of efficacy – will continue to limit their use.

Advertisement

Just five of the NFL's 52 onside kicks were recovered in 2025, according todata from The Football Database. That was good for a mark of 9.6% and up from three total recoveries and a 6% recovery rate in 2024, the first year of the NFL's dynamic kickoff.

NFL LEAGUE MEETINGS:Latest news, updates, storylines, rule changes

NFL kickoff rule changes

The onside kick rule isn't the only major kicking change the NFL's competition committee has instituted for the 2026 season. The following two rules have also been approved:

• To eliminate the kicking team's incentive to intentionally kick the ball out of bounds when kicking off from the 50-yard line.

• To modify the kickoff alignment requirements for the receiving team players in the setup zone.

The first of these rule changes effectively closed a loophole in the 2025 kickoff rules. Last season, a team kicking off from the 50-yard line after a personal foul penalty on the receiving team would benefit more from kicking a ball out of bounds (which would place the ball on the receiving team's 25-yard line) than they would from kicking a touchback (which would place the ball at the 30-yard line).

Under the NFL's new rule, touchbacks on kicks from the 50-yard line will be brought back out to the 20, eliminating the incentive to purposely sail a ball out of bounds.

Meanwhile, the alignment modifications will simply adjust how receiving team players are allowed to line up within the setup zone. The new rule will require just five players, instead of six, to have their front foot on the setup line – though just two players will be allowed to have their foot off the line in each of the setup zone's three areas.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NFL modifies onside kick rules, other kickoff bylaws for 2026

byAdministrator

in

March 31, 2026

NFL kickoff rules 2026: League makes changes to onside kick, more

The NFL made a significant change to its kickoff in 2024,instituting the "dynamic kickoff"to boost the percenta...

Read More

Like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, Frank Ragnow reportedly forced to repay part of signing bonus to Lions

When longtime Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnowretired last Junewithtwo years left on his contract, the franchise made the four-time Pro Bowler pay back part of his signing bonus,according to the Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett, who also reported Tuesday that the Lions previously forced Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson to make similar repayments.

In an interview with the Free Press at the NFL's annual meeting, Lions president Rod Wood didn't reveal exactly how much Ragnow had to return, but Wood reportedly confirmed that the franchise pursued "a portion" of his signing bonus proration.

Following a slew of injuries, including a fractured throat, Ragnow walked away from the game at 29 years old. Whilehe attempted a midseason comebackto help a Detroit offensive line that was struggling on the interior,he failed his physical that notably uncovered a Grade 3 hamstring strain.

"Our precedent goes all the way back to Barry Sanders," Wood told the Free Press on March 29. "And if Barry Sanders paid back money. … And I think the reality is, they're not paying back their money, they're returning our money. Cause they were paid in advance for services that they hadn't completed."

In the spring of 2021,Ragnow signed a four-year extension reportedly worth $54 million that made him the highest-paid center in the NFL at the time. The 2018 first-round pick out of Arkansas still had two years left on his rookie deal, so the extension kicked in during the 2023 season and was set to run through 2026.

That lucrative extension, per the Free Press, included a $6 million signing bonus, which counted $1.5 million against the cap each season from 2023-26.

Advertisement

Not every team seeks signing bonus prorations when players call it quits early, the Free Press reported Tuesday. And the Lions doing so after Ragnow fought through injury after injury to play for the organization during a formative seven seasons is eliciting some frustration.

Retired center Jason Kelce, who was a six-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler with the Philadelphia Eagles, took to X to unpack his disagreement with the Lions' handling of the situation.

"… The whole purpose of a signing bonus is to be a guarantee up front that insures a salary irregardless of performance metrics, or most importantly injuries that could compromise your career in the future,"Kelce wrote.

Kelce later added in that post: "So while I get that the team has a right to ask for money back, in the spirit of the agreement, I think it's bulls*** Frank is being asked to return money. This was clearly a player that the game had physically taken its toll on, and his body was clearly no longer holding up to the rigors of the NFL. It wasn't just some player deciding he didn't want to play anymore, it wasn't that simple, and these signing bonuses are there to protect players from the inevitable injuries they incur on the field."

Like Kelce, Ragnow found his way onto multiple All-Pro teams. He was a second-teamer in 2020, 2023 and 2024.

His efforts, particularly during the Dan Campbell era, have been greatly appreciated by the city and players across the league, especially the teammates he shared a locker room with. One of them, former Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone,chimed in on X as well:

Infamously, after Sanders retired just before training camp in 1999, the Lions took the Pro Football Hall of Fame running back to arbitration to force him to give back part of his signing bonus, more than $7 million of it, according to the Free Press.

That had a negative effect on his relationship with the Lions, and Johnson, a Hall of Fame receiver, had a similar experience when the franchise reportedly made him repay $1.6 million of his signing bonus after he hung up his cleats in 2016.

In the years since, Sanders and Johnson have seemingly made up with the Lions, but the franchise's contractual stubbornness is still ruffling feathers in the football world.

byAdministrator

in

March 31, 2026

Like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, Frank Ragnow reportedly forced to repay part of signing bonus to Lions

When longtime Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnowretired last Junewithtwo years left on his contract, the franchise made th...

Read More

Tiger Woods pleads not guilty, is stepping away to seek treatment

Tiger Woods released his first public statement since his rollover crash on Friday, announcing he would step away from golf to seek treatment in hopes of "lasting recovery."

Woods' statement Tuesday came soon after his attorney entered a plea of not guilty in a Florida court to charges stemming from the accident.

Woods, 50, is charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence with property damage, and refusal to submit to a urinalysis, according to court documents.

"I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today," Woods' statement read. "I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.

"I'm committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time."

"Tiger Woods is a legend of our sport whose impact extends far beyond his achievements on the course," the PGA Tour said in statement. "But above all else, Tiger is a person, and our focus is on his health and well-being. Tiger continues to have our full support as he takes this important step."

Attorney Douglas Duncan represented Woods, who was not present in Martin County Circuit Court in Stuart, Fla. Duncan submitted the plea as well as the demand for a jury trial.

The 15-time major champion waived his arraignment hearing that was slated for April 23. The defense has 10 days to file motions in the case, to be heard in Florida's 19th Judicial Circuit.

Woods told police he was looking at his cellphone and changing the radio station before his Land Rover crashed near his home in Jupiter Island, Fla., according to the arrest affidavit released on Tuesday by the Martin County Sheriff's Office. Woods said he didn't see a truck that was hauling a trailer slow down, per the affidavit, and his car clipped the trailer and rolled onto its side.

The golfer was jailed on a charge of suspicion of misdemeanor DUI with property damage following the accident and was released on a $1,000 bond about eight hours later.

Advertisement

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said a breathalyzer test showed no signs of alcohol, but that Woods refused a urinalysis test for other drugs.

Woods was "sweating profusely" and his movements were "lethargic and slow" during an interview with sheriff's deputy Tatiana Levenar, she wrote in the arrest affidavit.

Another deputy "observed several signs of impairment and requested I conduct a DUI Investigation to ensure Woods was able to operate the motor vehicle in a safe manner at the time of the collision," Levenar wrote in the affidavit.

During the field sobriety exercises, the deputy wrote that Woods was "limping and stumbling to the right." Woods told the deputy he had undergone seven back surgeries and more than 20 operations on his right leg since a major car accident near Los Angeles in 2021.

Duncan also represented Woods in that case. Woods, arrested on suspicion of DUI, later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and agreed to enter a diversion program.

Woods had said in the 2021 incident that he had taken a bad mix of painkillers. In the Martin County arrest report from last week, Woods denied consuming any alcohol but said he had taken "a few" prescription pills that morning.

Names of the medications were redacted in the affidavit, however, another Martin County Sheriff's deputy found two hydrocodone pills in Woods' left pants pocket. Hydrocodone was found in Woods' system in his 2017 arrest.

Levenar noted in the report that Woods' eyes were "bloodshot and glassy" and his pupils were "extremely dilated."

"Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed his normal facilities were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle," Levenar wrote.

--Field Level Media

byAdministrator

in

March 31, 2026

Tiger Woods pleads not guilty, is stepping away to seek treatment

Tiger Woods released his first public statement since his rollover crash on Friday, announcing he would step away from...

Read More

Pope Leo XIV urges an Easter end to the US-Israel war on Iran, calling for dialogue

VATICAN CITY (AP) —Pope Leo XIVexpressed hope that theU.S.-Israel war on Irancould be finished before Easter in remarks to reporters as he left the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome on Tuesday.

APTOPIX Italy Pope

"I'm told that President Trump has recently stated that he would like to end the war,'' the U.S.-born pope said. "I hope that he's looking for an off-ramp.''

"Hopefully he's looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that's being created, that's increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere."

Leo called on all world leaders to return to dialogue and look for "ways to reduce the amount of violence,'' so that "peace, especially at Easter, might reign in our hearts.''

Leo's remarks came during Holy Week, the most sacred period of the year for Christians.

Advertisement

"It should be the holiest time of the year. It is a time of peace, a time of reflection. But as we all know, again, in the world, in many places we are seeing so much suffering, so many deaths, even innocent children,'' Leo said. "We constantly make the call for peace, but unfortunately, many people want to promote hatred, violence, war.''

On Palm Sunday, the pontiff said God doesn't listen to the prayers of those who make war or cite God to justify their violence, as he prayed especially for Christiansin the Middle Eastduring Mass in St. Peter's Square.

Leaders on all sides of the Iran war have used religion to justify their actions. U.S. officials, especiallyDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth,have invoked their Christian faith to cast the war as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes with military might.

Russia's Orthodox Church, too, has justified Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a"holy war"against a Western world it considers has fallen into evil.

As Holy Week continues, Leo will carry out the Holy Thursday foot-washing tradition in the basilica of St. John Lateran, where popes have performed it for decades. On Friday, Leo is due to preside over the Good Friday procession at Rome's Colosseum commemorating Christ's Passion and crucifixion, and will carry the cross himself. Saturday brings the late night Easter Vigil, during which Leo will baptize new Catholics, followed a few hours later by Easter Sunday when Christians commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.

Leo will celebrate Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square and then deliver his Easter blessing from the loggia of the basilica.

byAdministrator

in

March 31, 2026

Pope Leo XIV urges an Easter end to the US-Israel war on Iran, calling for dialogue

VATICAN CITY (AP) —Pope Leo XIVexpressed hope that theU.S.-Israel war on Irancould be finished before Easter in remarks t...

Read More

Trump's White House ballroom blocked by judge

A federal judge issued an order to halt PresidentDonald Trump's plan to build a$400 million White House ballroomat the site of the since-demolished East Wing, saying no work can proceed "absent express authorization from Congress."

U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon's ruling comes after the National Trust for Historic Preservationfiled an amended lawsuitlast month against Trump and several federal agencies asking to stop construction on the90,000-square-foot ballroom. The nonprofit group argued that Trump should have sought Congress' permission before the demolition of the East Wing.

An earlier December lawsuit had been dismissed by the judge, who said the organization did not sufficiently prove the president was exceeding his powers.

But the latest ruling stops any actions "including but not limited to any further demolition, site preparation work, landscape alteration, excavation, foundation work, or other construction or related work," other than moves that are "strictly necessary" to ensure security in the area.

Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said in a statement she was pleased with the decision.

"This is a win for the American people on a project that forever impacts one of the most beloved and iconic places in our nation," she said.

The order takes effect April 14, 14 days from the date it was issued. The White House team is required to file a report apprising the court of the status of their compliance within 21 days after the date the order takes effect.

"President Trumpclearly has the legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House – just like all of his predecessors did. We will immediately appeal this egregious decision and are confident we will prevail," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said.

Two days before the ruling, Trump said an important part of the ballroom he's building for the White House is a "massive military complex" underneath it that was supposed to remain secret. He blamed the lawsuit for exposing the secret.

Advertisement

"Now the military is building a big complex under the ballroom, which has come out recently because of a stupid lawsuit that was filed," Trump said. "But the military's building a massive complex under the ballroom, and that's under construction and we're doing very well."

Minutes after the ruling, Trump railed against the the National Trust for Historic Preservation in apost on X, calling the group a "Radical Left Group of Lunatics whose funding was stopped by Congress in 2005."

Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission's website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See new renderings of massive 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom

Detailed renderings reveal the scale of the proposed 89,000-square-footWhite House ballroom. The images by Shalom Baranes Associates—later removed from the National Capital Planning Commission's website—show a new East Wing roughly a city block long, longer than the West Wing and more than half the length of the adjacent Treasury Building.

"The National Trust for Historic Preservation sues me for a Ballroom that is under budget, ahead of schedule, being built at no cost to the Taxpayer, and will be the finest Building of its kind anywhere in the World," he wrote.

On March 23, a coalition of eight cultural heritage and architectural organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation jointly represented by three law firmsfiled a suitin federal district court in Washington, DC, seeking to require the Trump administration to comply with historic preservation laws and secure congressional authorization before altering the "John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts."

Trump also lashed out against theKennedy Center lawsuitin his reaction to the ballroom ruling.

"I then get sued by them over the renovation of the dilapidated and structurally unsound former Kennedy Center, now, The Trump Kennedy Center (A show of Bipartisan Unity, a Republican and Democrat President!), where all I am doing is fixing, cleaning, running, and 'sprucing up' a terribly maintained, for many years, Building, but a Building of potentially great importance."

Trump went on to complain that the preservation group had not sued the Federal Reserve for the renovations of its headquarters which he said "has been decimated and destroyed, inside and out, by an incompetent and possibly corrupt Fed Chairman" or California Gov. Gavin Newsom for the California High-Speed Rail project, a long-delayed multibillion-dollar project often dubbed a "railroad to nowhere" by critics.

On April 2, the National Capital Planning Commission, the overseer of federal property development and site designs, will vote on the ballroom project following apublic hearing which was held last month. The hearing drew more than 35,000 comments, the majority of which were negative.

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY.You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump ballroom blocked by federal judge

byAdministrator

in

March 31, 2026

Trump's White House ballroom blocked by judge

A federal judge issued an order to halt PresidentDonald Trump's plan to build a$400 million White House ballroomat th...

Read More

Two-thirds of Americans want quick end to Iran war even if goals unachieved, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

By Costas Pitas

March 31 (Reuters) - Two-thirds of Americans believe that the U.S. should work to end its involvement in the Iran ‌war quickly, even if that means not achieving the goals ‌set out by the Trump administration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Some 66% of respondents to the ​poll, conducted Friday through Sunday, voiced that view, while 27% said the U.S. should work to achieve all its goals in Iran, even if the conflict goes on for an extended period. Six percent did not answer the ‌question.

Among Trump's Republicans, 40% ⁠supported ending the conflict quickly even if it did not achieve U.S. goals, while 57% supported a longer involvement.

The ⁠month-long war has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands of people and has hit the global economy with soaring energy prices, fuelling global inflation fears.

Advertisement

A ​total of ​60% of respondents said they disapproved ​of U.S. military strikes on ‌Iran, while 35% approved in the survey of 1,021 people.

One of the war's most visible effects in the U.S. has been the rising cost of gasoline, which rose above $4 a gallon on Monday for the first time in more than three years, data from price tracking service GasBuddy ‌showed.

Two in three respondents said they expected ​gas prices to worsen over the next year, ​including 40% of Republicans.

Trump's ​Republicans face voters in November for midterm elections that will ‌decide whether they can hold onto ​slim majorities in ​the House and Senate. The incumbent president's party tends to lose seats in Congress in midterm elections.

More than half of respondents thought ​the conflict will have ‌a mostly negative impact on their personal financial situation, including 39% ​of Republicans surveyed.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; Editing ​by Scott Malone and Deepa Babington)

byAdministrator

in

March 31, 2026

Two-thirds of Americans want quick end to Iran war even if goals unachieved, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

By Costas Pitas March 31 (Reuters) - Two-thirds of Americans believe that the U.S. should work to end its invo...

Read More

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addresses A.J. Brown trade rumors

Trade rumors have long been swirlingaroundPhiladelphia Eagleswide receiverA.J. Brown, and theNew England Patriotshave frequently been mentioned as a potential landing spot for the veteran wide receiver.

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel did not rule out the possibility of his team trading for Brown when asked about it March 31 at the NFL's annual meeting.

"We've talked about this since last January. We're going to try to do everything we can to strengthen our roster through the draft, through free agency, multiple ways of player acquisition," Vrabel told reporters, perESPN.

"So anything that we can continue to do to strengthen the roster, we're going to try to do."

OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> CB Trent McDuffie: Traded to Los Angeles Rams (previous team: Kansas City Chiefs)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> RB David Montgomery: Traded to Houston Texans (previous team: Detroit Lions)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades

OT Tytus Howard:Traded to Cleveland Browns(previous team: Houston Texans)

Brown would certainly qualify as an upgrade for New England. After all, the Patriots released their lone 1,000-yard receiver from the 2025 NFL season –Stefon Diggs– ahead of free agency.

The Patriotssigned Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $68 million dealto help replace Diggs. They also have returning a group of receivers –Kayshon Boutte,DeMario Douglas,Mack Hollinsand 2025 third-round pickKyle Williams– about which Vrabel expressed enthusiasm.

Advertisement

"There's a lot of guys that we're excited about," Vrabel told reporters.

NFL ANNUAL MEETING:Eagles GM had the same response to every A.J. Brown trade question

Still, Vrabel acknowledged it won't necessarily be easy to replace Diggs' "efficiency." Adding Brown – who has generated 1,000-yard seasons in six of his NFL campaigns and spent three seasons under Vrabel's tutelage with the Tennessee Titans from 2019-21 – could go a long way toward making that happen.

But for now, Brown remains with the Eagles. And if Philadelphia does trade him before the 2026 NFL season, it would likely be after June 1, when the team could spread his $43.5 million dead-cap hit across two years. Otherwise, the Eagles would have to absorb Brown's dead-cap hit all at once, which would cost the team $20.1 million in present-year cap space, perSpotrac.com.

So, the Patriots could find themselves in a long-term waiting game as they continue to seek upgrades for their receiving corps.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Could the Patriots trade for A.J. Brown? Mike Vrabel weighs in

byAdministrator

in

March 31, 2026

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addresses A.J. Brown trade rumors

Trade rumors have long been swirlingaroundPhiladelphia Eagleswide receiverA.J. Brown, and theNew England Patriotshave fre...

Read More