The NFL spent years managing the injury risk presented by kickoffs by minimizing the play. In 2025, the NFL went the other way, moving the touchback point from the 30 to the 35 in an effort to encourage more returns for the “dynamic kickoff” that in the first year of the new approach, when it was a dud.

To no surprise, more returns has led to more injuries. Specifically, more concussions.

Jayna Bardahl of TheAthletic.com has obtained league data that has been shared with teams through the first seven weeks of the 2025 regular season.

The shift of the touchback point has resulted in a massive increase in returns, from 31.7 percent through seven weeks of 2024 to 79.3 percent through seven weeks of 2025. In turn, the number of concussions per 100 kickoffs rose to 1.48 through seven wee

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