The NFL owners passed a rule in late May to help mitigate collisions and damage taken on kickoffs.
But, from the echoes coming throughout the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, neither the players nor the coaches had any say in how their game should be played.
The new rule essentially turns the NFL kickoffs into college kickoffs. Meaning, any ball in the air on a free kick -- a standard kickoff or a post-safety free kick -- can be fair caught from the inside of that team's 25-yard line, and the ball will be placed on the 25-yard line regardless.