Many athletes have entertaining Twitter accounts. Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano is one such individual. He’s especially amped today as he openly calls out the new NFL rule change, recently approved at the owners meeting, which will move the ball on kickoffs and punts ending in touchbacks to the 25-yard line. This is a five-yard gift for the offense moved from its longstanding position at the 20.

The policy is another chip-away the NFL is playing with football’s most dangerous event, the kick and punt returns. The NFL moved the position of the kicker on kickoffs from the 30 yard line to the 35 back in 2011 in order to cause more touchbacks. The new rule change for the touchback was originally suggested back in this meeting.

There are two schools of thought on how this new policy will play out. One camp, and the people approving the new rule in an attempt to make the game somewhat less dangerous, believe that setting the ball at the 25 will make it highly prohibitive for teams to attempt returns. Most return men have a difficult time getting back to the 20 before getting slaughtered by the defensive special teams unit. Getting to the 25-yard line is seen as a very solid return effort, so most teams will opt to just take a touchback to begin where they’d typically start on a successful return.

But for Graham Gano, the Panthers’ seven-year veteran place kicker out of Florida State, this rule means something altogether more dangerous. He believes the new touchback rule will have the opposite effect intended by the league because kicking teams may intentionally kick the ball short in order to force the receiving team to catch it out of the end zone and try to a return. He thinks the new rule will cause less touchbacks than before.

So touchbacks go to the 25 now huh? I bet we will see a lot of shorter & higher kicks and more returns around the league this year. 🤔 — Graham Gano (@GrahamGano) March 23, 2016

Graham Gano is routine at causing touchbacks on kickoffs, forcing the opponent to take a knee on almost 70% of his kickoffs last season.

Graham’s original comments about the new rule change inspired some discussion, to which Gano shrewdly referred to the iconic Forrest Gump in his response.

Might be a great change tho. 2many great returners in the NFL. Teams don't like giving those fellas opportunities. pic.twitter.com/wBePMvN8tK — Graham Gano (@GrahamGano) March 23, 2016

It’s hard to tell which train of though is more logical. The new change does give the offense a leg up on the defense, so special teams coordinators may get crafty and adjust their kickoffs to gain an advantage. It looks like we’ll find out in 2016 as both sides look to take advantage of the new rule.