The NFL’s new “dynamic kickoff” rule has changed the way special teams operate, and so far, it’s paying off. The league has seen kick returns rise to their highest rate since 2006, with nearly 80% of kicks being brought back into play. With collisions happening at slower speeds, concussions and ACL injuries have also dropped significantly.
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But while most teams are still trying to make the most of these friendly rules, the Seattle Seahawks have already taken things a step further, quite literally, by putting 300-pound defensive linemen on kickoff coverage.
During Sunday’s 38–14 win over the Washington Commanders, Seahawks special teams coach Jay Harbaugh made this bold call: he sent 334-pound nose tackle Brandon Pili out with the kickoff unit. The result was a game-sealing play that perfectly showcased how Seattle is using the new rules to its advantage.
Just six minutes into the second quarter, with the Seahawks up 14–0, the Commanders’ return man, Jaylin Lane, caught the ball near the goal line, and before he could make a move, Pili charged in like a freight train. The massive defender punched the ball out of Lane’s hands, causing a fumble that Seattle quickly recovered.
On the very next play, quarterback Sam Darnold threw a touchdown, turning a two-score lead into a 21–0 blowout in just 11 seconds.
Understandably, this new package scheme and the way it was executed instantly went viral online. After all, it’s not every day you see a nose tackle line up for the kicking unit… something content creator Justin Penik summed it up best in his breakdown of the play:
“There is a lot of meat on the field for the Seahawks kickoff team. How about number 95 Brandon Peely, listed as a nose tackle, 334 pounds… New kickoff rules. New ideas. Big man on the field on kickoffs. You haven’t seen that a lot before,” Penik said in his video while reacting to the play.
The Seahawks debuted a new kickoff package where they have two 300 lb defensive lineman on the field for them and it worked out immediately for them. pic.twitter.com/NDFlBVPUZ5
— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) November 3, 2025
That said, this wasn’t just a one-off gimmick. It was the result of a smart strategy because the new kickoff formation moves the coverage line closer to the return team (only about 15 yards apart), so heavier players like Pili don’t have to sprint 50 yards anymore. Instead, they can use their size and power to break through blockers quickly.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald later credited Harbaugh (Jim Harbaugh’s son) and assistant coach Devin Fitzsimmons for the innovative move, saying they’re “always trying to find ways to give us an edge.”
But for Pili, it was an unexpected but fun assignment. After the game, he laughed and said, “I wanna say… middle school? That’s the last time I played on a kickoff team. I was surprised, and I didn’t mind it.”
It’s too early to say at this point, but if Seattle’s experiment proves anything, it’s that the new kickoff era is opening doors for creativity. And in the Seahawks’ case, that creativity just weighs a bit over 300 pounds.
