Pete Carroll says Seattle Seahawks will be very aggressive despite controversial NFL rule changes

The NFL won’t force teams to fair catch this season on kickoffs, it just seems that way by the screeching reaction to the rule change. However, Pete Carroll says the return tweak won’t impact the Seahawks.

In case you missed the entire kerfuffle, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell successfully lobbied enough team owners to approve the new kickoff return rule. For the upcoming season, if a return man signals for a fair catch from the end zone to the 25, then the offense takes over at the 25. The rule tweak nullifies a good, strategic pooch or squib kick. Plus, we may not see as many spectacular kick six plays. The league says that by deemphasizing the kickoff return, special teams players should suffer fewer injuries.

But Pete Carroll comes at the rule from a different perspective.

“We’re going to compete with it,” Carroll told reporters Thursday after an OTA session. “We’re going to use it to our advantage. (And) we’re pretty good in those areas. (And) we like to think we’re a good return team and we can make things happen. It’ll depend.

“I think you’ll see an effect during the course of the season as the weather changes and stuff like that,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to be that dramatic a change. (And) I think teams are going to want to compete and want to bring the ball out. That’s really all it is, if you’re going to take it to the 25 or not. We’ll compete with it, and see how we look. And see if our core group can continue to give us good work like we’ve always counted on. I’m not thinking we’re taking a knee on everything now. We’re going to be very aggressive about it.”

Pete Carroll’s Seahawks were on pedestrian side of returns

The Seahawks averaged 24.3 yards per kick return in 2022. The average was the ninth highest in the NFL. But they had rather pedestrian stats for the number of returns. The Seahawks attempted 30. That ranked in the middle of the 32 teams. The Packers returned the most kicks with 47. The Cowboys, at 22, registered the fewest. The stats reflect several factors. If your defense gives up a ton of touchdowns or field goals, you get more return opportunities. Or, your return guy may like to fair catch.

So many NFL coaches have clutched their whistles while talking about the kickoff return change. Pete Carroll concedes he’s not a booster of the tweak.

“I didn’t like the change,” the coach said. “Worrying about the game a little bit, but the other side of it is worrying about the rest of it too. There’s some numbers that maybe we can change and help some people not be injured. It’s really hard to not look in that direction and support it.

“We’ve got to support our guys and take care of them.” Carroll said. “That’s the way we voted. But I was battling. We worked really hard at it. I spent a lot of time on the phone with the guys at the league and with our guys in getting our minds set on how to do it and how we take advantage of it, one way or the other and all of that, and make the most of it. “

Carroll continued “But it’ll be all right. You won’t even know. You won’t even notice there’s a difference.”