CFL looks at revamping kickoffs

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/01/2024 (648 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s often heralded as one of the most exciting plays in the CFL — and a distinguishable difference from the neighbouring game to the south.

Kickoffs, while still technically a part of the four-down game, are rarely returned in the NFL, with the ball routinely flying through the end zone resulting in a touchback. In the CFL with a bigger field, kickoff returns are among the most exciting plays, packed with the potential of a violent collision or game-altering touchdown.

It’s those violent collisions that have prompted the league to consider a drastic change for the 2024 season. It was discussed by general managers and head coaches during league meetings in Nashville earlier this month.

Under consideration is giving the team that surrenders a touchdown the option of taking the ball at its own 40-yard line. Teams already do this after a field goal. The rule wouldn’t apply to kickoffs to start the game and to begin the second half, and teams would not get the choice in the final three minutes of the contest.

Another option under consideration is the now-defunct XFL model. Players would line up just five yards apart, between the returning team’s 35- and 40-yard line, while the punter kicks the ball from deep in his own end. The theory here is to limit the speed of a player running downhill to make a tackle.

It’s my view anything designed to help player safety is a good idea. There’s no denying that while kickoff returns bring a unique level of excitement to the game, they also carry the greatest risk of injury.

I also have a feeling traditionalists won’t be happy with the idea, but there needs to be a focus on making the game safer. The good news for the detractors is nothing has been decided, with a final vote still to occur in March in Winnipeg during the annual league combine.

Let the debate begin. Until then, let’s dive into the biggest stories from around the league in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) A week after Dru Brown was traded from Winnipeg to Ottawa, the Redblacks have signed the former Blue Bomber quarterback to a two-year contract. The deal is reportedly worth $290,000 in 2024 and $350,000 in 2025, with the potential to earn an additional $50,000 each year through play-time incentives. The contract confirms Ottawa believes Brown to be its future and will be the undisputed No. 1 heading into training camp.

2) I spoke with Brown shortly after the trade was made. We kept the chat mostly to his time in Winnipeg and his appreciation for the Bombers, especially the mentorship he received from QB Zach Collaros, as negotiations had yet to start with the Redblacks. Brown did say he welcomed the chance to settle down in Ottawa with his wife, Meghan, with the hopes of starting a family and planting some roots in the nation’s capital. While signing Brown comes at a bit of a risk, given his limited playing experience the last three years, I believe he’s got the potential to be a future star. He’s as passionate about the game as they come, he’s got an accurate and strong arm and, like Collaros, does some of his best work on the run. His football IQ is also through the roof and his perspective on life, the importance he puts behind appreciating and respecting each day, is what gives me confidence he’ll thrive with the Redblacks.

3) The Brown signing caps off a pretty impressive week for the Redblacks. They also re-signed defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin, who was named the CFL’s most outstanding defensive player in 2022, and also inked stud receiver Dominique Rhymes. On Rhymes, there’s some buzz in B.C., the club that recently released him, they asked Rhymes to restructure his contract down to around $200,000 and he just wasn’t willing to do that. He then signed a two-year deal with the Redblacks that plays him an average of $210,000 per year. Probably didn’t hurt that Rhymes lives in Ottawa during the off-season.

4) It’s the end of an era in Calgary, as long-time staple of the Stampeders franchise John Hufnagel stepped down from his role as club president. Hufnagel has been with the team since 2008, first as head coach and general manager. He would step aside as head coach in 2015, making way for Dave Dickenson, and gave up his GM role, again to Dickenson, ahead of the 2022 season. Hufnagel will remain with the club as an advisor, helping out new team president Jay McNeil.

5) What happens when arguably the biggest global music sensation and People’s Sexiest Man Alive walk into a luxury suite together? That’s something Collaros can answer. The Bombers QB was seen in a suite at the Buffalo Bills-Kansas City Chiefs playoff game Sunday, where he was rubbing shoulders with Taylor Swift and Jason Kelce, among others. Collaros is close friends with Kelce, a centre with the Philadelphia Eagles, and with Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, Jason’s brother, as they were roommates while playing for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. The internet predictably went bananas over it, made even crazier by the fact Jason had gone shirtless for much of the game and even climbed into the stands to party with Bills fans. The modest and humble Collaros denied media requests to talk about it, but you know it’s going to be one of the first questions he’s asked when he does eventually speak publicly.

6) The Hamilton Tiger-Cats DE Jonathan Kongbo is due a $15,000 bonus come Feb. 1, and the Ticats need to decide whether they want to keep the 27-year-old Canadian. Hamilton signed Kongbo following an unceremonious departure from his hometown Lions, making him among the highest-paid defensive players in the CFL, at just north of $160,000 in 2024. Problem is, Kongbo, who spent a couple years with the Bombers before a year in the NFL, hasn’t exactly proven he’s worth it, registering just 15 defensive tackles and three special teams tackles last season.

7) No real updates on Bombers pending free agents running back Brady Oliveira and receiver Dalton Schoen. I still think there’s a chance to sign both, but my gut tells me Oliveira is back and Schoen is playing elsewhere. It’s officially crunch time, with just three weeks before the market opens Feb. 13.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton