Trump bashes NFL over major kickoff change: 'Beginning of the end!'

Baltimore Ravens fall 20-27 to Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. Keyshawn Johnson reacts to Lamar Jackson’s comments about the Chiefs not being his kryptonite after the loss.

The drastic changes to the NFL's kickoff caught the attention of former President Donald Trump on Friday, as he blasted the change in a post on Truth Social. 

"I can’t believe the NFL is effectively getting rid of the always exciting Kick Off Return. Such an exciting part of football. What are they doing? BEGINNING OF THE END!" Trump wrote.

The NFL's new kickoff rule has dramatically changed the function and aesthetic from what old-fashioned fans are used to, causing some confusion early in the season. 

The new rules have changed the alignment of both teams, while also incorporating various zones that play a key role in what players are allowed to do. 

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Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders players line up for the kickoff in the second half of the preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 10, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The NFL is debuting a new rule on kickoffs this season. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Now, all kicking team players will have to line up with a foot on the receiving team’s 40-yard line, compared to when they had to line up all the way back at their own 35-yard line. The kicking team's players must also wait until the ball hits the ground or the player is in the "landing zone" or end zone to start running. The "landing zone" is from the receiving team’s 20-yard line to the goal line. 

Meanwhile, the receiving team has a designated "setup zone" which is a five-yard area from the 35-yard line to the 30-yard line, where at least nine players must line up