In Week 10, President Donald Trump made the trip to watch the Washington Commanders host the Detroit Lions. He celebrated veterans during a Salute to Service initiative at halftime and joined the broadcast to provide some play-by-play commentary.
Interestingly, the news of his appearance broke on “The Pat McAfee Show,” which turned out to be a foreshadowing act. The President returned to the show on Nov. 11 to drop more commentary and share his thoughts on the NFL.
President Donald Trump Makes Feelings Clear on New Kickoff Rules
The league’s new kickoff rules are designed to enhance player safety and encourage kick returns. The aesthetic change, though, has been jarring, and approval has been far from unanimous.
Count Trump among the critics. Joining “The Pat McAfee Show” on Veterans Day, the President was adamant in his disdain for the rule change.
“I do have to say, look, I love sports, but I do have to say, and I’ll probably get myself in a little trouble with this, but I hate the kickoff in football,” Trump said. “I think it’s so terrible. I think it’s so demeaning, and I think it hurts the game…hurts the pageantry. I’ve told that to Roger Goodell.
“And I don’t think it’s any safer. I mean, you still have guys crashing into each other. And it’s the opposite of the game; the ball is in the air and nobody’s moving. It’s supposed to be when the ball is in the air, when the ball is played, you’re supposed to be moving.”
“I do have to say that I hate the new kickoff..
I think it’s so terrible” 😂😂 ~ @POTUS #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/YoGvEwzm45
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 11, 2025
Kickoffs were previously a disproportionately unsafe play, particularly for concussions, as players were running full speed at each other for long distances. Given how few kickoffs resulted in touchdowns and the incredibly high rate of touchbacks, the play had become an extension of the post-score commercial breaks while putting players (often more vulnerable backups) at risk.
The results have been mixed. One potentially unintended consequence was the offensive inflation that comes with touchbacks to the 35-yard line. The Lions, ranked seventh in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, didn’t need the help in Week 10. They beat the Commanders 44-22 in front of the President.
“I hope college football doesn’t change,” Trump said. “The power of the kickoff is so beautiful. Now, I don’t want to say what it reminds me of because it will get me in big trouble, but it is not football. And I have no idea… You guys may disagree with me, I don’t think it’s going to help with injuries at all.”
Trump also expressed nostalgia for surprise onside kicks, which don’t exist within the new rules.
“Oh, so good, so good,” he said. “And now it’s so bad, so bad. It’s so unromantic.”
“It’s just demeaning to football,” Trump said. “I don’t think they have a right to do that to the game. You know, the game is so important, I don’t think the people that approved it, I don’t think anybody has the right to do that to the game. And I hope that college doesn’t change, and I hope that someday the NFL will stop it and go back to football.”
The NFL has continued to experiment with rule changes, both to promote scoring and to ensure the safety of its players. Whether it was data or just resistance to criticism of change, Trump was happy to joke about Commissioner Roger Goodell’s right to change the sport.