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Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower has studied college tape and brainstormed with his staff. Ultimately, though, he’ll have to see the NFL’s new kickoff rule applied in games — preseason or otherwise — to have a true sense of how it changes strategy.
Last week, the NFL voted to allow all fair catches of kickoffs before the 25-yard line to result in teams getting the ball at the 25. The goal is to reduce the amount of contact on kicks, but many around the league fear it will accomplish the opposite.