Kansas City Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub sharply rebuked President Donald Trump's recent criticism of the NFL's new dynamic kickoff rules. Toub stated that Trump lacks understanding of the rule changes aimed at improving safety. The league reports a 43% reduction in kickoff concussions since implementation.
The NFL introduced revised kickoff rules in recent offseasons to enhance player safety and increase return frequency. Under the dynamic kickoff, now made permanent by owners, the ball is kicked from the 35-yard line, with the kicking team lined up at the 40-yard line. Players must remain stationary until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20-yard line. Additional provisions apply if the ball fails to reach the landing zone, lands without being caught, or enters the end zone.
President Trump, who attended a Washington Commanders-Detroit Lions game earlier this month—the first sitting president at a regular-season NFL game since Jimmy Carter in 1978—voiced strong disapproval on 'The Pat McAfee Show.' He described the rule as 'so terrible' and 'demeaning,' arguing it harms the game's pageantry and safety. 'I think it’s so terrible. I think it’s so demeaning, and I think it hurts the game. It hurts the pageantry,' Trump said. 'I’ve told that to (NFL Commissioner) Roger Goodell, and I don’t think it’s any safer. I mean, you still have guys crashing into each other.' He added, 'I hate the kickoff in football... It’s the opposite of what the game – the ball is in the air, nobody’s moving.'
In response, Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub, who has coached in the league for over two decades including 13 seasons with Kansas City as assistant head coach under Andy Reid, dismissed Trump's comments during a Thursday press interaction. The 63-year-old Toub said, 'He doesn’t even know what he’s looking at. He has no idea what’s going on with the kickoff rule... So take that for what it’s worth. And I hope he hears it.'
The NFL maintains the changes have made kickoffs safer, citing league data showing a nearly 43% drop in documented head injuries in the first year. Toub's unit includes kicker Harrison Butker, a vocal Trump supporter and 2017 draft pick who ranks among the Chiefs' top three all-time point-scorers.