'It's a race to figure it out': 49ers embracing, experimenting with new kickoffs (2024)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brian Schneider said Wednesday he’s in a 32-team race to figure out how to take advantage of a drastically different kickoff procedure the NFL will adopt this year.

“It’s exciting. I mean, I’m fired up,” said the San Francisco 49ers’ special teams coordinator, who spoke for the first time since the kickoff rules were changed in March. “This is the coolest thing to happen in my coaching career because — what do you do? You have a great opportunity to do something that’s never been done before. So it’s a race to figure it out.”

The new format is similar to how the rebooted XFL handled kickoffs in that it places the bulk of the kicking and return teams just a few yards apart from one another. While the ball is kicked from the kicking team’s 35-yard line, the rest of the coverage unit lines up on the opponent’s 40-yard line. At least nine members of the return team will be aligned opposite them, with up to two returners lined farther back.

(Drew Jordan / The Athletic)

The rule change is designed to spur more action — and perhaps more scoring — to what had become a largely uneventful play. The kick must fall into a so-called landing zone between the 20-yard line and goal line. Fair catches aren’t allowed.

Schneider and special teams captain George Odum weren’t shy about acknowledging how different — and strange — the new returns look. Under the old rule, everyone on the coverage team was moving in unison with the kicker; under the new one, everyone aside from the kicker must be still until the ball lands.

“It’s like the music went off — it’s like ‘The Twilight Zone,’” Schneider said. “And then when it happens, it’s really fast.”

I’ve criticized the NFL over many things… but adopting the XFL kickoff is a good move.

Would love to see college football adopt it as well. pic.twitter.com/odwY8Yqo2g

— Jon Tweets Sports (@jontweetssports) March 26, 2024

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“This is going to be the easiest job in the NFL,” Odum said of the return man. “Because nobody else is moving. You don’t have to worry about getting hit — ever. You just get to catch the ball and now you’re running. I can put my little sister back there and she’ll get at least to the 20.”

The change likely will alter the composition of both the coverage and return teams. In previous years, defensive backs and fleet-footed linebackers were favored on the coverage teams because they could get down the field swiftly, swerve to avoid blockers and change directions quickly.

“The difference is this year there’s going to be a lot of grappling,” Odum said. “There’s going to be contact with a player each and every play, and you’ll be fighting to get off (the block). So we’ve got to come up with a different technique with how to penetrate fast so everyone can go out and eat.”

The 49ers figure they have one of the key components — the kicker — covered with Jake Moody. They chose him in the third round last year in part because he was accurate on kickoffs, not just with the direction of the kicks but with depth.

Kicks that fall short of the landing zone result in the return team getting the ball at the 40-yard line. Kicks that land in the end zone and aren’t returned come out to the 30. Kicks that hit in the landing zone, roll into the end zone and are not returned come out to the 20. Odum said the ideal kick would drop just shy of the goal line and outside the numbers.

The team also has options at kick returner, from Deebo Samuel — who ought to be adept at breaking the arm tackles of coverage players who are engaged with blockers — to the running backs.

Odum, who has been studying XFL kickoffs, said the big returns are nearly always set up by crafty return men.

“It’s like Christian McCaffrey running outside zone or something like that,” he said. “He’s stretching the box so far that when he cuts back, the (defenders) who were chasing him are further away and he cuts through an opening.”

In that way, any of the team’s running backs might be a good fit, with McCaffrey perhaps appearing in the role in special circ*mstances. He averaged 26.4 yards as a kick returner at Stanford, including a 98-yard touchdown in 2015.

“We have a lot of guys back there, a lot of new guys back there and I love it — just the competition,” Schneider said. “All that is going to evolve with the way I see it.”

Schneider said he’s been thinking about the rule change nonstop since March, but he wasn’t eager to share any strategies or specific personnel decisions. For one, the spring and summer will be all about experimentation. He’s also wary of letting his competitors know the 49ers’ approach.

He said all of the special teams coordinators discussed the rule change when the league was considering it early in the offseason. Since then, everyone’s been tight-lipped.

“I think everyone’s kind of holding onto their stuff,” he said. “I don’t talk to a whole lot of guys. I talked to a couple guys I’m close to, and we’ve kind of skirted around it.”

Other items from Wednesday’s OTA practice

• Wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who had been a restricted free agent this offseason, signed a two-year deal Wednesday that keeps him in San Francisco through the 2025 season. Jennings didn’t practice but was seen on a side field catching passes from rookie quarterback Tanner Mordecai.

• The 49ers again practiced without a number of offensive starters, including three who have yet to report for the voluntary offseason program: receiver Brandon Aiyuk, McCaffrey and tackle Trent Williams. Tight end George Kittle (core muscle) and center Jake Brendel (knee) are out with injuries.

On defense, defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner were observers Wednesday while fellow starters cornerback Charvarius Ward (core muscle), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) and safety Talanoa Hufanga (ACL) recover from surgeries. Hufanga did some light running on a side field.

Others who weren’t seen Wednesday include defensive end Drake Jackson (knee), tight end Cameron Latu (knee), guard Jon Feliciano and offensive tackle Chris Hubbard.

• Kittle said he started dealing with his core injury around Week 9 or 10 last year and played through the rest of the season with the issue. He finished with 1,020 receiving yards, made the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro. He said he’s on track to be ready for the start of training camp.

With Kittle out, free-agent addition Eric Saubert and second-year player Brayden Willis alternated snaps with the first-team offense. Jake Tonges and rookie Mason Pline worked with the backups.

• At center, Ben Bartch worked with the first-team unit in Brendel’s absence, Nick Zakelj with the second team and rookie Drake Nugent with the third team. Offensive line coach Chris Foerster said Bartch, who was acquired midway through last season, looks fully recovered from the ACL injury he suffered with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022.

“He’s looked very, very good at center and guard,” Foerster said. “We’ll see where he is when pads go on and he has to play with a little bit more anchor, more strength. But right now he looks like he’s been here for three or four years.”

• Top draft pick Ricky Pearsall was in a blue, no-contact jersey due to an undisclosed injury. It hasn’t caused him to miss any practice time and didn’t seem to slow him down Wednesday. As was the case last week, Pearsall looked comfortable in the offense and caught several passes from Brock Purdy, including one at the sideline that Pearsall snagged in front of cornerback Isaac Yiadom, who had close coverage.

Meanwhile, fellow rookie wideout Jacob Cowing took part in Wednesday’s session after he was missing from the practice last week that was open to reporters. Cowing had a nice catch in traffic on an across-the-middle throw from Purdy during seven-on-seven drills.

• Second-year cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. had the only interception in 11-on-11 drills. Brandon Allen seemed to be targeting rookie Terique Owens deep down the left sideline, but another receiver, Ronnie Bell, also was in the vicinity. Bell reached back and tipped the pass, which ended up going to Luter.

Purdy, meanwhile, was intercepted during seven-on-seven drills when linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles jumped a short pass over the middle. Flannigan-Fowles is playing middle linebacker with the first-team defense in place of Warner. Jalen Graham has been the middle linebacker with the second-team group.

• Kittle said it was great having Trent Taylor, a fellow 2017 draft pick by the 49ers, back in the building. In fact, Taylor is staying at Kittle’s place this spring.

“The fact that he knows our offense — he fits right in,” Kittle said. “He and Brock seem to have a decent connection so far.”

Taylor, Cowing, Pearsall and Bell returned punts during the special teams portion of practice. The 49ers have not had a kickoff session in either of the practices open to reporters.

(Photo of Jake Moody: Stan Szeto / USA Today)

Matt Barrows is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the 49ers. He joined The Athletic in 2018 and has covered the 49ers since 2003. He was a reporter with The Sacramento Bee for 19 years, four of them as a Metro reporter. Before that he spent two years in South Carolina with The Hilton Head Island Packet. Follow Matt on Twitter @MattBarrows