Sean Tucker Draws Raves For Kick Return Job
May 13th, 2025
Coach talks Sean Tucker and new kickoff rules.
So the NFL radically changed its kickoff rules for the 2025 season. A touchback now will be placed on the 35 yard line. First down, offense!
That will translate to a hell of a lot more kickoff returns this season.
Today, Joe asked Buccaneers special teams coach Thomas McGaughey for his thoughts on the change.
“The difference, percentage-wise, between the ball being on the 30 and being at the 35 yard line is huge,” McGaughey said. “That’s a big, big difference. And I promise you head coaches are not going to want that ball — defensive head coaches are not going to want that ball — at the 35. You get a first down and you’re in field goal range. It’s going to change the game a lot. It’ll change how rosters are going to be built. It’s going to change how the game will be played.”
Running back Sean Tucker was the Bucs’ primary kick returner last season. He had 15 returns for 410 yards, including a 53-yarder.
“I think he did a heck of a job,” McGaughey said of Tucker. “I think we were really, really good [at returns] when Bucky [Irving] was back there next to him. But, you know how that is, [Irving] graduated [from special teams].”
Irving had 9 returns for a 29.3 yards-per-return average, two yards better than Tucker, but now as the Bucs’ No. 1 running back, Irving won’t be in the return mix.
“But [Tucker] did a really good job. We could have one a better job of blocking, but Tuck did a good job,” McGaughey said, noting Tucker is the Bucs’ top guy unless someone beats him out.
McGaughey projected at least four more returns per game. “It’s going to be a real play instead of a ceremonial play with the ball being kicked out of the end zone,” he said.
May 13th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
What about the rest of the rules? Where is the ball kicked from? Is there a landing zone, players not allowed to move on either line, what happens if the ball bounces into the endzone for a touchback as opposed to landing in the air, etc?
May 13th, 2025 at 12:49 pm
Just as long as Palmer isn’t returning kicks. I don’t anyone can be as bad as he is.
May 13th, 2025 at 12:54 pm
Dexter Jackson (Not the safety) was the worst kick returner ever not Palmer.
May 13th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
Tim Brown says hi
May 13th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
bring back The Thruth Williams
May 13th, 2025 at 1:16 pm
brandon — Aside from changes to spotting of the ball, other aspects of the dynamic kickoff will remain the same.
Kickoffs are at the 35-yard line, but the 10 players on the kicking unit aside from the kicker will line up at the opposing team’s 40-yard line. The receiving team lines up with at least seven players in the “set-up zone,” a five-yard area between their 35- and 30-yard lines, with a maximum of two returners can line up in the landing zone.
After the ball is kicked, the kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line and the 10 kicking team players cannot move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone or goes into the end zone. The receiving team’s players in the set-up zone also cannot move until the kick has hit the ground or a player in the landing zone or the end zone. The returner(s) can move at any time before or during the kickoff.
Onside kick rules did not see any modifications at the Annual League Meeting on Tuesday, but team owners could consider changes at a later date, per Rapoport and Pelissero. In 2024, a trailing team could only attempt an onside kick during the fourth quarter. The original rule proposed that trailing teams could attempt an onside kick at any point during a game.
May 13th, 2025 at 1:20 pm
That response from the ST couch is kind of dumb because it will take at least 2-3 first downs to be in field goal range from our own 35-yard line, not 1 first down.
But I do agree and am glad that kick returning will be a part of the game again more so than in the past.
And Tuck needs to get the 2nd most touches at the RB position this year too, in addition to returning kicks.
He has shown to be even better than Bucky is with full playing time (and Bucky is great).
Facts btw
May 13th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
This will obviously result in way more returns than usual this year, because the kicking team will NOT want that ball going into the end zone and give the opposing offense a free start at the thirty-five.
However, since the average kick return yardage in recent years is about twenty-five yards, if kickers land the ball around the 10-yard line it’s still going to end up, on average, around the thirty-five-yard line.
So, it looks like this change is going to make a difference in average starting field position of about five yards compared to last year, and about ten yards compared to recent years before that, and a full fifteen yards compared to the years further back when the average starting position was the twenty-yard line.
This sucks, because the NFL continues to tinker with the game to artificially drive up points and yards, which makes comparing modern teams’ production to teams from the past a worthless effort. It also makes teams seem more talented offensively when they really are not.
May 13th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
*coach
Tucker and his elite talent/skills has been disrespected and underappreciated by this coaching staff and it needs to end immediately.
Chaad should RB3. Tuck should be RB2 or RB1 by the end of the season.
May 13th, 2025 at 1:41 pm
1 first down and are in field goal range? Dang – booting 72 yarders now?
May 13th, 2025 at 1:42 pm
Agree that Tucker has the talent to be an elite RB1.
May 13th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
74 buc fan beat me too it. Unless you get a 20+ yard pass play on that first series you’ll need two first downs and probably a few yards further to be in range. Our kicker is good from 55+ yards so we need to get just inside the 45 at least.
May 13th, 2025 at 2:24 pm
Tesmania for KR
May 13th, 2025 at 4:42 pm
Darden was worse than Dexter App State. At least Dexter had a TD return in preseason.