J.T. Gray has never played more than 41 snaps on defense in any of his six NFL seasons, but he has stuck with the Saints because of his special teams abilities.
Gray made All-Pro and the Pro Bowl as a special teamer in 2021, and he has played more than 300 special teams snaps in each of the past four seasons.
That’s why Gray is excited about the NFL’s new format for kickoffs.
“So, [the new kickoff rule] is pretty interesting,” Gray told Steve Wyche of NFL Media. “Just going in this year in OTAs, we have been practicing that since Day 1. Since implementing the new rule, I feel like it’s changing the value of the special teams. I feel like it’s going to be a great thing because you are going to get action in every first play of the game. I feel like that’s going to be a great thing for the NFL and a great thing for the fans to see.”
The NFL’s kickoff rule, which is a version of the one used in the XFL, could bring action back to a play that had become “ceremonial.” Or kickoffs could remain a dead play.
Some worry that with touchbacks at the 30-yard line, teams will just opt to kick it through the end zone as they have been doing.
The Saints will be in good shape if teams choose to allow them to return kickoffs, with Rashid Shaheed having earned Pro Bowl honors last season.