Report: Onside kick alternative could pass after committee votes 7-1 in favor

The onside kick looked to be on its last legs during the 2018 season, and the NFL could put the final nail in its coffin at the annual league meeting.

The NFL competition committee voted 7-1 in favor of the Denver Broncos' proposal to give teams a fourth-and-15 alternative, according to The Washington Post's Mark Maske.

The only member to vote against it was New York Giants owner John Mara.

"What are we, the Arena Football League?" Mara said Sunday.

The proposal would give teams one fourth-quarter chance at retaining possession by converting what amounts to a fourth-and-15 play from their own 35-yard line.

The change still needs the approval of 24 of the NFL's 32 team owners at the league meeting - which takes place Sunday to Wednesday - but they often follow the competition committee's lead. Maske said there's an "outside chance" it can get the necessary votes.

"There's support for it," a source told Maske. " ... People liked it."

The league altered kickoff rules before last season, which included not allowing players on the kicking team to be in motion before the kick. This effectively killed the onside kick, with the percentage of successful attempts dropping from 21 in 2017 to 7.5 in 2018.

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