President Donald Trump Slams Controversial NFL Rule During Podcast Appearance [VIDEO]
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Donald Trump criticized the NFL again this week during an appearance on a college football podcast.
Trump joined Josh Pate from On3 and ESPN for what was supposed to be a discussion about college football. However, he changed the topic. He started talking about a rule in the NFL that he has criticized for months.
He once again spoke against the league’s new kickoff rule and made it clear he still does not like it.
Trump first talked about college football and said, “It’s too bad. I hate to see it.” But soon after, he shifted back to the NFL and repeated his complaints about the kickoff changes.
During the interview, Trump also shared his thoughts on specific teams. He mentioned South Carolina and Georgia while explaining how he chooses games to attend. “I’ll look around and say, well, South Carolina is good,” Trump said, even though the Gamecocks finished 4-8 last season.
He praised Georgia’s roster and singled out quarterback Gunner Stockton. “I like this Georgia team, I like your quarterback, by the way, I like Gunner [Stockton]. He’s going to be a great quarterback. I’m telling you, he’s already a great quarterback, but he’s only going to get better.”
Trump Doubles Down On Kickoff Criticism
Trump did not hide his frustration with the NFL’s kickoff rule. He has criticized it before, including in an October 2024 post after a Steelers-Jets game.
“I hated seeing what the NFL did with the kickoff return,” Trump wrote at the time. “Saw it tonight at the Steelers/Jets game. When you have something that works, don’t ‘tinker’ with it, you may end up with nothing!”
He argued that the new format changes the spirit of the game. “The ball is moving, and the players are not, the exact opposite of what football is all about,” he added. “‘Sissy’ football is bad for America, and bad for the NFL!”
1000000% chance there’s a 5-10 minute tangent about the NFL kickoff rules on a college football podcast. https://t.co/kHv5OVmWg3
— Sam Neumann (@Sam_Neumann_) February 20, 2026
Trump has often said he believes the league has changed too much. He used the kickoff rule as another example. In his view, the old rule worked fine and did not need to be changed.
The NFL plans to keep the new kickoff rule for the 2026 season. League officials say the change is meant to make the game safer and create more returns. Although Trump does not agree with that explanation.
For now, he continues to share his frustration on public platforms. Even when he discusses college football, he still brings up the NFL’s kickoff rule.
