The NFL introduced its new “dynamic kickoff” format in 2024, and when that failed to produce as big of a jump in percentage of kickoffs returned as had been hoped, they made a very significant tweak to the rules in 2025. Now, a kick that landed in the end zone for a touchback brought the ball out to the receiving team’s 35-yard line to start the subsequent drive.

That definitely worked. After the percentage of returns only increased from 22.9% in 2023 to 34.7% in 2024 when the touchback was put at the 30-yard line, it more than doubled last season to 75.9%. The Buccaneers followed suit for most of the season; in their first 13 games only nine of their 64 kickoffs landed in the end zone and only four produced touchbacks. However, some coverage breakdowns along the way pushed Head Coach Todd Bowles to switch up over the final month, as 17 of their 18 kickoffs over four games went into the end zone, all for touchbacks. The one that didn’t was supposed to, and Miami’s Malik Washington returned it 47 yards to set up a field goal drive in a painful three-point loss for the Buccaneers.

In January, the Buccaneers hired a new special teams coordinator in long-time NFL assistant Danny Smith, most recently of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the past 13 seasons. Smith is entering his 30th season as a special teams coordinator in the NFL, with previous stints in Philadelphia, Buffalo, Washington and Pittsburgh. Smith has a strong preference in the coverage-vs.-touchback debate, and it’s based on not wanting to hand the opposition an optimal result.

“It is situational, but I can tell you this – and one year don’t make a study; this is pretty new to all of us: The 35-yard line was the best starting point in the National Football League a year ago,” said Smith. “So if you’re kicking it out of the end zone and just giving it to them on the 35, you’re giving them the best field position in the league.”

Smith is referring to average kickoff drive start, and he’s right on the money. The New York Jets led the NFL in that category last year with an average start of their own 34.6-yard line. That stat takes into account all drives that start after a kickoff, including ones with touchbacks and ones with returns. Defensively, the worst average kickoff drive start allowed was the 33.1-yard line, by the Falcons. Smith’s Steelers were fifth-best in that category, at 29.0; the Bucs were 30th, at 32.8.

As Smith noted, there are some game situations where a touchback would be the preferred choice, just not many of them, in his opinion.

“Now, is there a time for that? Yes,” he said. “Few and far between, okay? Few and far between. They’ve got a dangerous returner back there, there’s two minutes left in the game and we’re up by 14 points. Let’s bang this out and turn it over to our defense, and let’s go home with a win. You gotta know how to win that game. I’m not worried about our stats, I’m not worried about our net, I’m not worried about all that crap at that time. How do we win this game?”

Assuming that Bowles and Smith are on the same page – a solid assumption given the hire – it sounds as if the Bucs will be getting the ball into the hands of opposing kickoff returners with frequency this season. And that’s largely because Smith is confident the results in coverage will be better in 2026.

“So there’s certain circumstances where you would [choose a touchback], but again to me they’re few and far between because I like to kick and cover and I think we’ll be capable of doing that,” he said.

CLICK HERE for more of Coach Smith’s thoughts about joining the Buccaneers and producing results on special teams.