Eagles' Boston Scott addresses controversial fair catch rule

Add Philadelphia Eagles running back and kick returner Boston Scott to the growing list of NFL personalities annoyed over the league's new rule regarding kickoffs. 

"I’m not a fan of it," Scott told reporters on Tuesday, as shared by Chris Franklin of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "I feel like it takes away from the excitement of the game." 

Earlier this offseason, the NFL approved a change for at least the 2023 campaign that allows kick returners to call for a fair catch anywhere inside the 25-yard line to have the ball placed at the 25. Franklin mentioned that "the rule was implemented in the name of player safety" after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said data shows kickoffs are linked with a "higher rate of injury." 

Cleveland Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone seemingly responded to Goodell last week and said he "completely" disagrees kickoff plays are particularly unsafe. Ventrone also claimed that "all the coordinators" and "the players" were against the switch, and handfuls of coaches and players have offered similar takes this spring that seemingly have fallen on deaf ears.

As for Scott, he averaged 27.1 yards as a kickoff returner during the 2022 regular season. According to Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia, that was good for the second-highest kick-return average by an Eagles player in the last 50 years among those who recorded a minimum of 15 returns in a single season. 

"Whatever happens, will happen," Scott continued during his comments. "We’re going to deal with it. I think it’ll come with different types of kicks and adjusting to that. We’re going to have to be ready for the different situations that have probably come from that type of situation. We kind of have an idea, but we will be ready." 

Larry Holder of The Athletic noted on May 23 that "the NFL is certainly trending toward eliminating kickoffs altogether." Holder also explained the new rule can be made permanent starting with the 2024 season, but Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports reported that the NFL competition committee does not yet wish to fully eliminate kickoffs.