Roger Goodell entered the NFL as commissioner and immediately started trying to change the culture of the game and one reason for that was due to his fear that one day in the future a player could die while on the field.
According to the ESPN.com OTL report from Don Van Natta Jr., Goodell is "terrified" that player could die on the field one day in the future if the "hard-knocks culture doesn't change." Goodell has implemented a number of new changes to the game, including penalties for hard helmet hits and more fines.
The report says that Goodell has told one Hall of Fame player he speaks to on a regular basis that he was "terrified" of the idea and feels that a tragedy of that sort could ruin the sport. The NFL makes over $10 billion per year and he has said that a goal of $25 billion by 2027 is not out of reach.
According to NationalFootballPost.com, "Only once in NFL history has a player died during a contest. Detroit Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes suffered a heart attack during a game in 1971. Hopefully, there isn't another death anytime soon."
Goodell spoke earlier this year with TIME about the future of the NFL and safety changes.
The magazine reported on a meeting between Goodell and Rich McKay, the head of the league's competition committee, in which the two discussed an idea that was proposed by Tampa Bay head coach Greg Schiano earlier this year that would eliminate kickoffs and returns.
According to the magazine, "TIME sat in on meeting between Goodell and Rich McKay, head of the NFL's powerful competition committee. Goodell brought up a proposal promoted by Greg Schiano, coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: after a touchdown or field goal, instead of kicking off, a team would get the ball on its own 30-yard line, where it's fourth-and-15. The options are either to go for it and try to retain possession, or punt. If you go for it and fall short, the opposing team would take over with good field position. In essence, punts would replace kickoffs, and punts are less susceptible to violent collisions than kickoffs."
Goodell didn't explicitly say that kickoffs would be eliminated and this plan would be put in place, but it is something that the league will discuss in the future.
"The fact is, it's a much different end of the play," Goodell said during the meeting, according to Time Magazine.
Schiano has been vocal about the issue for a couple years after dealing with the aftermath of a serious injury to Rutgers player Eric LeGrand while he was still the head coach of the school.
In October 2010, LeGrand broke two vertebrae and suffered a serious spinal cord injury while covering a kickoff against Army. He has been an inspiration to many while recovering and has been able to stand upright with the help of a metal frame.
"I believe that day will come," Schiano said earlier this season to ESPN the Magazine. "Unfortunately, it will probably take more players being seriously hurt. But I think there's another way to do this."
New York Giants owner John Mara also spoke about eliminating kickoffs earlier this season.
"We had a lot of discussions about whether we should eliminate it, and if we did, what we could do in its place," Mara said to the team's official website. "There's no consensus on it right now, but I could see the day in the future where that play could be taken out of the game."
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the kickoff rule change has greatly impacted the frequency of kicks being returned. "After 10 straight seasons in which at least 80 percent of kicks were returned, just 53.0 percent have been returned since the change. A small change in the kickoff location had a significant impact on the number of returns after just one year."