ORLANDO, Florida -- Rich McKay joined the NFL's competition committee 29 years ago and is the longest-tenured member in its history. As he took a moment to reflect Tuesday, he could think of only one other rule change that matched the significance of the kickoff overhaul that owners passed that morning by a vote of 29-3.
"And that was replay," McKay said of the decision to bring back replay review in 1998, marking the permanent infusion of technology into determining the outcome of games. Otherwise, the changes to the kickoff -- a fundamental and aesthetic redesign that the NFL hopes will more than double the return rate while dropping the injury rate -- is as big as it gets.