The Kansas City Chiefs are working out the best way to adjust to the league’s new kickoff rules. To better protect kicker Harrison Butker, the Chiefs are seriously considering having safety Justin Reid handle kickoffs.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, May 30, Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub’s remarks on the possible plan raised some eyebrows.

“I like to have somebody that can go back and is able to make a tackle,” Toub said. “Butker is able to make a tackle but I really don’t want him making tackles all year long. If you watch the XFL, we watched every play.

“I bet kickers were involved in probably at least 25 to 40% of the tackles. Either trying to make a guy bounce back or making the tackle itself or just missing the tackle. We don’t want Butker in that situation.”

Harrison Butker

“[Butker] will be a kicker. He’ll be a guy that we will use in certain situations. He’s got a lot of ability to move the ball, you know, whereas those other guys may not be as apt to doing that. And we’ll use them. He can still kick a touchback if we need it.”

Toub sees Reid, the Chiefs’ $31 million safety,being a huge problem for opponents. “Justin can cover. I mean, he could kick, he can, and then he can go down there and make tackles,” Toub said.

“He’s an extra guy that they’re probably not accounting for. I mean, they know that that guy can go down to tackle, but a guy like Justin is a guy that they have to worry about. You have to get him blocked and you have to give up blocking somebody else. So, that’s the whole thought of that.”