Donald Trump has a new bone to pick with the NFL.
President Trump took to his Truth Social page on Monday morning to voice a pointed criticism of the NFL’s new kickoff rules, which hold that no player on either team (other than the kicker and a maximum of two returners) can move until the ball lands. Trump said that the new rules were “ridiculous looking” and added that it made the game look like “sissy football.”
“The NFL has to get rid of that ridiculous looking new Kickoff Rule,” Trump wrote. “How can they make such a big and sweeping change so easily and quickly. It’s at least as dangerous as the ‘normal’ kickoff, and looks like hell. The ball is moving, and the players are not, the exact opposite of what football is all about.
“’Sissy’ football is bad for America, and bad for the NFL!” added Trump. “Who comes up with these ridiculous ideas? It’s like wanting to ‘roll back’ the golf ball so it doesn’t go (nearly!) as far. Fortunately, college football will remain the same, hopefully forever!!”
NFL team owners initially voted to implemented the new “dynamic” kickoff rules (modeled after the XFL’s format) for the 2024 season. Then for the 2025 season, the league instituted another major change intended to decrease the number of touchbacks.
Trump is probably right that the new rules, especially now that they serve to further encourage returns, make for a situation that is just dangerous as the old kickoff format. Meanwhile, the product for fans looks gimmicky at best and significantly less entertaining at worse.
Over the weekend, we saw one NFL team give up a touchdown because they did not know the new kickoff rules. Now President Trump, who has had some other complaints about the NFL ever since returning to office, thinks that the new rules need to take a hike altogether.
