Bears' Gould: NFL trying to get rid of PATs, not kickers
While some believe that the NFL is trying to eliminate kicking from its sport, Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould thinks that's a bit of an overreaction.
Gould isn't too naive to see that rules have been adjusted to reduce the role of his position, but he thinks that has more to do with getting the highest-paid players more screen time.
The 34-year-old kicker points to the 2015 rule change, moving extra-point attempts back to the 25-yard line.
"I think what they tried to do is they tried to get their guys that are making probably the most money on your team with the ball in their hand for one extra play per drive," Gould told SiriusXM NFL radio on Thursday about the NFL's 2015 rule change. "I think it was meant to be a two-point conversion all the time. I think it was meant to be a more entertaining play in that concept.
"And I think the reality of our position is that a 33-yarder, yes, there’s more in doubt, there’s more extra points missed than ever before. Sure, you can look at games throughout the entire season that came down to one point it and it was probably a missed extra point."
Gould says that the league isn't trying to eliminate kicking, but rather make field goals less predictable and add more exciting plays.
"Now, I think the reality of the rule, the two-point conversion, really the only team in the National Football League that tried it on a regular basis was the Pittsburgh Steelers," said Gould. "And other teams probably had packages to use it and they used it when thought they needed to.
"I don’t think they’re trying to get rid of our position, I really don’t. I think what they’re trying to do, from a field-goal perspective, is not make it a hundred-percent accurate. I think extra points used to be that way."
The league also passed a rule this offseason aimed to reduce kickers' roles during kickoffs. The ball will now be placed at the 35-yard-line following a touchback as a way of enticing returners not to run kicks out of the end zone.