Get ready for Rams Wild and Whacky NFL rules changes to kickoffs.

Here are some of the NFL's unintended changes of the new Kickoff rule

One of the new angles of the changes to the kickoff rule is the new emphasis on tackling, and how the new rules place the kicker into a far more active role in making tackles and shedding blockers on plays. For the Rams, that is a particularly difficult twist, as the team has dedicated punter Ethan Evans to take on all kickoff duties from the kicking tee.

Are the Rams comfortable in placing Evans into a more active role at tackling, and more at risk of injury as a result? That question is being answered by the Kansas City Chiefs, and the answer may surprise you:

If that tactic is successful, will the LA Rams and other teams adopt a new specialist for special teams: A kickoff defender who can also play on the defense in a pinch? Or in the case of the Chiefs, a known and solid defensive veteran player who can learn to kickoff?

I'm quite certain that nobody had that possibility on their bingo card for the 2024 NFL season.

I haven't rushed to address this new wrinkle in the NFL because, while so little is truly known about it, the potential overall impact could become quite significant. And I wanted to allow enough time for the dust to settle to present more than just restating the phrasing of the rule change. I wanted to explore how this rule may change the game, and the experience for fans.

The LA Rams have opted to use punter Ethan Evans in kickoffs through 2023, and I do not anticipate changing that fact for 2024. Evans is a pretty big guy, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 231 pounds, and naturally has the appearance of a football player who can tackle. While the new rules may alter Evans' emphasis on kicking a higher arcing football, I do not see drastic changes for the Rams in terms of a new kicker.

But the team team will need to rework both the return role and the coverage unit this season. The Rams have a chance to drastically improve the performance of a critical aspect of the game, and I expect that the team will take advantage of the opportunity.

Stay tuned, because I admit that we are just scratching the surface of this topic.

And as always, thank you for reading.