Denver Broncos special teams coach Darren Rizzi wants the NFL to tighten up one part of its new kickoff setup: the holder.
According to a report from Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, Rizzi believes teams should not be allowed to use a holder on kickoffs the way some are now under the league’s new rules. In the past, that move was basically reserved for extreme situations - the kind of “break glass in case of emergency” adjustment teams would only lean on when wind or weather made it necessary.
That’s not how it’s being used now. With the updated kickoff format, teams can deploy a 12th man as a holder, and Rizzi thinks that opens the door to an unfair edge for the kicker. He said special teams coaches are in agreement that there should be uniformity here, with teams not using a holder to gain an advantage.
The NFL has dealt with this sort of issue before. In 2022, the league stepped in when the Las Vegas Raiders were told they had to stop using a holder to place the ball on top of the tee instead of inside it.
Rizzi has already started pushing the conversation forward. Per Smith, he organized a conference call with special teams coordinators to talk through the change. Their position is simple: the holder should only be available when weather conditions make it necessary.
All of this lands in the middle of a broader debate about what the new kickoff is supposed to be. From a fan’s point of view, the play has become a static, awkward-looking part of the game, even if the league says it helps reduce concussions. Some teams have had more success than others in producing big plays, but the overall results have been predictable enough that the kickoff has gone from one of football’s most electric moments to one of its least meaningful.
Whether the league actually listens is another matter. The piece suggests the NFL will likely respond if there really is a unified push from special teams coaches, though it also notes how rare it is for the league to admit it’s wrong and try something different.
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