Bears coach urges NFL to clarify kickoff holder rule
Richard Hightower says Philadelphia’s angled-ball tactic conflicts with the rule’s intent and wants the league to require a tee when a holder is used.
Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower has called on the NFL to require kickers to place the ball in a tee whenever a holder is on the field, after the Eagles used a holder to angle kickoffs last week.
Hightower said the ball’s angle altered its trajectory and made it harder for returners to field. He argued the holder allowance was intended for windy conditions, with the ball placed in a tee, and not for the approach he says Philadelphia has used.
The league later allowed holders at any time, Hightower said. He said coaches were due to discuss the issue on a conference call and hoped the rule language could be corrected.
Hightower believes the NFL could introduce a tee requirement during the season. He cited a 2022 change involving Raiders kickoffs as precedent, when the league reversed its initial allowance for a holder to place the ball on top of a tee.
The source does not establish whether the Eagles’ tactic breaches the current rule. No league response or outcome from the coaches’ discussion was reported.
