PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former President Donald J. Trump criticized the NFL’s new kickoff rules Monday, calling them the “worst part of the Super Bowl” and questioning their impact on the game.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Trump wrote, “The worst part of the Super Bowl, by far, was watching the Kickoff where, as the ball is sailing through the air, the entire field is frozen, stiff. College Football does not do it, and won’t! Whose idea was it to ruin the Game?”
The NFL introduced the revamped kickoff format for the 2025 season, designed to reduce high-speed collisions and injuries.
Under the new rule, players on the kicking team and return team remain stationary until the ball is caught or hits the ground, significantly altering the traditional dynamic of kickoffs.
Trump, an outspoken critic of changes in professional sports, compared the NFL’s decision to college football’s approach, which has not adopted similar modifications. His remarks reflect ongoing debate over whether the league’s efforts to improve player safety come at the expense of excitement and tradition.
Trump didn’t say it, but he’d probably want to also, “Make the NFL Great Again.”