Last year, the NFL made a drastic change to the kickoff. In an effort to increase the amount of returns while keeping the play as safe as possible, they adopted a complicated new kickoff that had been trial run in the XFL.
They found some success, but not as much as they wanted. Kickoff returns went from 21.8% in 2023 to just 32.8%. By the end of the season, many teams were not bothering to risk their coverage teams giving up a big play, so the kickers just booted the ball through the end zone.
This year, the NFL competition committee is looking to make a small tweak that could incentivize more returns.