President Donald Trump thinks the NFL killed its own sport. Dallas Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones thinks it saved it. As the league heads into the 2026 season with the Dynamic Kickoff rule now a permanent fixture, the divide between the President’s Truth Social rants and the actual on-field results has never been wider. And Jones isn’t shy about pointing that out.

The new format, introduced in 2024, requires most players to remain still until the ball is touched or hits the ground. Previously, the players could run about on the field. This shift was designed to reduce high-speed collisions while encouraging more returns. Jones praised the league’s special teams coaches, including former Cowboys coordinator John “Bones” Fassel, for their work in evolving the game for the team.

“Really, we’re excited about the results of how that’s evolved. Hats off to all our special teams coaches in the league. Obviously, I mentioned John played a big role in that. Coach Rizzi out in Denver has done a great job, I think, spearheading it,” Jones further added.

“And you know, I do think it’s brought the kickoff back into the game, and I think it’s been well-received by our fans. We’ll continue to always look for ways, like we do all parts of our game, to tweak it—and always with player safety in mind. We want to keep our players safe, and if we can do things on certain plays to make them safer, then we’re always for it.”

Getting into a little backstory, in 2024, the groundwork was laid by Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel and his former New Orleans Saints counterpart, Darren Rizzi. By spearheading a massive summit of over 32 special teams coaches during the scouting combine, they transformed the kickoff from a ceremonial dead play back into a high-stakes tactical battle.

The numbers show that Jones is right. Back in 2024, only about 33% of kickoffs were returned. By 2025, that number jumped to nearly 75%. It’s clear teams are actually playing the ball now instead of just taking a knee for a touchback.

Now, as we look toward 2026, the league wants to tweak the lineup. Rich McKay, the head of the Competition Committee, is suggesting a new “5-4-2” setup for the receiving team. He explained:

“This year, we’re going to propose that we allow the 5-4-2 alignment. … That really was the original alignment the special teams coaches wanted, but we were just taking our time and kind of being a little conservative, if you will, in how we allowed the alignment change. So, that’s kind of our process and how we got to where we are.”

It seems the NFL team owners and higher officials are happy with the progress, but Trump still isn’t a fan. Apparently, he even looks away when a kickoff is about to happen because he dislikes the new style so much.

Donald Trump openly showcases his dislike of the kickoff rule 

Donald Trump has made his feelings very clear; he absolutely hates the NFL’s new kickoff rule. Throughout the past seasons, he hasn’t held back, labeling the change as “sissy” and “wrong on every level.”

On January 25, Trump told his followers through his X account that he had given up on the play entirely, writing, “I can’t watch the new NFL Kickoff. Like many others, I just turn my head.”

The NFL originally introduced this “dynamic kickoff” to solve a specific problem: they wanted to encourage more exciting returns while keeping players from getting hurt. Trump was an early critic of the move. 

After watching a game between the Steelers and the Jets in October 2024, Trump vented his frustration on his social media.

“I hated seeing what the NFL did with the kickoff return,” and warned the league that “when you have something that works, don’t ‘tinker’ with it; you may end up with nothing!” he said.

However, the league’s data tells a different story from Trump’s criticism. From a medical standpoint, the change was a huge success, as concussions on kickoff returns dropped by 43% and lower-body injuries decreased as well. 

Because of these safety gains, team owners voted in April to make the rule a permanent part of the game. For the 2025 season, they even adjusted it further by moving touchbacks to the 35-yard line and changing how blockers line up to keep the play moving.

Trump was not moved by these statistics and continued his campaign against the rule in September. 

“The NFL has to get rid of that ridiculous-looking new kickoff rule,” arguing that “it’s at least as dangerous as the ‘normal’ kickoff and looks like hell.” He felt the new formation ruined the spirit of the sport, adding, “The ball is moving, and the players are not, the exact opposite of what football is all about. ‘Sissy’ football is bad for America and bad for the NFL!”

Despite the high-profile complaints, the people actually playing the game seem to be on board. In a recent anonymous poll by The Athletic of 77 NFL players, more than 70% said they actually prefer the new rules. Therefore, the owners too have decided that the rule is here to stay.