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Chiefs Coach Claps Back At President’s Criticism

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Kansas City Chiefs
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Kansas City Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub pushed back against President Donald Trump’s criticism of the NFL’s new kickoff rules, designed to limit player injuries.

Trump labeled the changes “terrible” in a recent interview on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

“I think it’s so terrible. I think it’s so demeaning, and I think it hurts the game. It hurts the pageantry,” he commented.

“I’ve told that to (NFL Commissioner) Roger Goodell, and I don’t think it’s any safer. I mean, you still have guys crashing into each other.”

Toub, who has spent 20 years coaching special teams with stops in Chicago and Kansas City, told reporters the president was uninformed about the new rules.

“He doesn’t even know what he’s looking at. He has no idea what’s going on with the kickoff rule,” Toub rebuked. “So take that for what it’s worth. And I hope he hears it.”

The NFL implemented a ‘dynamic’ kickoff for the 2024 season to reduce high-speed collisions and address what officials have said was a high rate of injury amongst players.

Under the rule, players from the kicking team must line up at the 40-yard line instead of behind the kicker and cannot move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone or end zone.

The landing zone is located between the receiving team’s goal line and the 20-yard line, and any kick landing in this area must be returned.

Earlier this month, Trump criticized the rule on Truth Social, writing, ‘I HATE WATCHING THE NFL’S NEW KICK OFF RULE. IT’S RIDICULOUS — TAKES THE PAGEANTRY AND GLAMOUR AWAY FROM THE GAME, AND DOES NOTHING FOR SAFETY.”

“THEY SHOULD CHANGE BACK TO WHAT IT USED TO BE. HOPEFULLY COLLEGE FOOTBALL WILL NEVER MAKE THIS RIDICULOUS CHANGE!” he added in all caps.

Meanwhile, the daughter of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, Gracie Hunt, voiced her support for Erika Kirk and Turning Point USA’s alternative Super Bowl halftime show, after criticizing Bad Bunny as a ‘cheap’ choice not reflective of American values.

Bad Bunny will controversially perform during Super Bowl LX in California on Sunday, February 8, 2026.

Conservatives raised concerns over Bad Bunny’s political stances, noting the rapper’s criticism of President Trump’s immigration policies and his decision not to tour in the U.S. over fears that fans might be targeted by ICE.

In response, Turning Point USA announced a counterprogram halftime event during Bad Bunny’s show. Gracie made her support for the alternative event known.

“I really respect Erika for all that she’s done, especially with creating a halftime show for America. You know, children are young, they’re impressionable. Young women, young men and everyone, they just need someone to look up to,” Hunt said on Fox News Channel’s “The Will Cain Show.”

“As someone who doesn’t yet have young children of my own, I can’t imagine how difficult that is to navigate,” she posited.

“But I think she’s done an incredible job leading Turning Point, leading young women and really leading an alternative for young Americans,” Hunt continued.

“Football’s becoming the world sport, but, at its heart, it’s America’s sport built around family.”

She added that her grandfather, Lamar Hunt, created the Super Bowl to be a family-oriented event.

“When my grandfather named the Super Bowl, he intended it to be something children and families of all ages could come together and watch and really believed that the game should come first,” she remarked.

“That football is the attraction and that it didn’t need to compromise its character or rely on cheap appeal to draw an audience, especially when that approach can alienate so much of the fan base.”

Hunt said future halftime shows should reflect American values, adding, “The NFL honors women, the military. This country celebrates communities. So I think that whoever they select going forward for the halftime show needs to reflect those values more closely. So I respect Erika.”

She suggested performers like Taylor Swift or Jason Aldean as potential future headliners. Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre offered a similar view, saying, “I’d pick someone who — maybe Jason Aldean, or, you know, someone who loves this country and that everyone could relate to.”

“I think Jason Aldean right now is as big a patriot and has a great voice,” he noted.

Favre also mentioned other country artists, including George Strait, and recalled Whitney Houston’s iconic rendition of the national anthem before Super Bowl XXV in January 1991.

“I remember when Whitney Houston sang the national anthem and I was blown away,” he reminisced.

“If you didn’t have tears in your eyes watching and listening to that, something’s wrong with you. I envision a national anthem and a halftime show, they’re two different things but, it really grabs you,” he said.

Not everyone criticized the NFL’s selection of Bad Bunny. Charlotte Jones, daughter of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, defended the choice, highlighting the global audience and cultural diversity.

“I think our Latina fan base is amazing. And I think when you think about the Super Bowl, you want the No. 1 performer in the world to be there. We’re on a global stage and we can’t ever forget that,” she said on “The Katie Miller Podcast.”

“Our game goes out to everybody around the world and to get the premier entertainer to want to be a part of our game, I think is amazing. We have a mixed culture.”

Jones noted that American society is based on the immigrants that founded the country and believes that Americans should “celebrate that.”

“I think the show’s going to be amazing. I don’t think our game’s about politics. I don’t think people tune in to look at politics. We do everything we can to avoid politics,” she remarked.

“I think in that moment people will be watching the game, they’ll be celebrating music and nobody will be thinking about what comments on the left side, what comments on the right side. This is about bringing people together.”

 

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