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Kickoffs will look different in the NFL this season, with the league temporarily implementing fair-catch rules first seen in college football. They could look even more exotic down the road, with league officials privately considering the XFL’s kickoff rules as a future model, according to NBC Sports.

Currently, NFL teams kick off from their own 35-yard line, and kicking-team players can begin running from that line only after the ball has been kicked. In the revived XFL, however, kickoffs occur at the 30-yard line, with players other than the kicker lined up at the receiving team’s 35. Only the kicker and returner, meanwhile, can move before the ball is touched by the returner.

“The NFL is exploring XFL data regarding the play,” Mike Florio reported Wednesday. “The overriding goal is to reduce the potential for concussions … by shrinking the distance between opposing players. The XFL rule leaves only 5 yards of space for players to cover before contact, keeping them from getting to top speed.”

It’s unclear when the NFL might attempt to enact such a change. Such a proposal has never officially surfaced in discussions among NFL owners, though many believe the league would ultimately prefer to reduce, significantly modify or even eliminate the kickoff in the future. Commissioner Roger Goodell said earlier this offseason that NFL executives anticipated pushback to kickoff rule changes but is confident that data from the NCAA’s own implementation of fair-catch rules enhances player safety.

Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried made his first start since May on Friday afternoon against the Chicago Cubs (GameTracker). He had previously missed close to three months because of a strained left forearm.

Fried showed little sign of rust against what had been a red-hot Cubs lineup. He fired off six shutout innings, holding Chicago to three hits and no walks. Fried also struck out eight batters and saw his fastball average 94.7 mph, or a full tick higher than his previous seasonal average. He generated nine whiffs on 33 swings, with four of those coming on his fastball variants.

8-strikeout gem for Max Fried.

Ace things. pic.twitter.com/DYYeQoebvk

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 4, 2023
Fried, 29, made five starts earlier in the year before going on the shelf. In 26 innings, he had accumulated a 2.08 ERA (221 ERA+) and a 4.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Fried, of course, finished second in National League Cy Young Award balloting last winter.

“I felt sharper than expected. Had a lot of nervous energy. Just was looking forward to this day for a long time,” Fried told reporters, including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Fried’s afternoon was made easier thanks to the run support provided by Atlanta’s lineup. The Braves were up 8-0 at the time of his departure, due almost entirely to a seven-run fourth inning that saw them launch back-to-back home runs and continue their recent mastery of Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks. That score would hold as the final.