NFL is set to debut the new kickoff rules during the Hall of Fame Game and the best returner of all time shared his expectations

The Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans will be kicking off the 2024 preseason later tonight in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

Tonight's game will also be the debut of some of the new NFL rule changes taking place this season, including major changes coming to kickoff returns.

Who better to break down the new kickoff changes than perhaps the greatest kickoff returner in NFL History, Devin Hester, who will also be officially inducted as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

"First of all, I feel like it will bring life back into the return game," Hester explained . "I feel like it would open up more doors. You're going to start seeing guys get recruited as returners and be the main focal point. So, I'm excited to see what's going to happen. I know, a guy like me, I would love to be in this situation."

So what exactly are the new kickoff rule changes? The standard kicks will still start at the 35-yard line with 10 coverage players lining up at the opposing 40-yard line. Only the kicker and two returners will be permitted to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20-yard line.

The new rule change helps keep kickoffs in the game while attempting to limit the high-speed collisions that were prone to happen under the previous rules. Each team has been spending the offseason figuring out new strategies to take advantage of the rule with the Bears and Texans being the first teams to implement them in a game.

Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower served on the committee that pushed for the rule change and is ready to see it in action.

"It's exciting. The unknown is what everybody is excited for," Hightower said . "What I expect is a lot more returns. I know the players are extremely excited about it. I know we're extremely excited to coach it and to be a part of something that's revolutionizing the game... To be a part of that is special."

The guy expected to be the main returner for the Bears is wide receiver Velus Jones Jr., whom the Bears coaching staff compared to as a freight train this offseason. Jones has been a reliable return man for the Bears but can really take his abilities to the next level under the new kickoff rules.

"It definitely changed the game, real excited. Definitely adds value to my game. I got speed, physical, I have size," Jones said . "It's tough already to bring me down but giving me a head start? I know they want excitement back into the game because teams can eliminate a kick returner by just kicking it out of the end zone. So, I feel like just bringing that excitement back to the game and that's what everybody wanted to see. So pretty excited."

It seems like everyone is excited to see these new rules in action on the field in a game-like situation. However, not every special teams coordinator will fully show their hand with all their return strategies that will be implemented during the preseason.

Related: Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington lays out direct expectations for his rookie pass rusher in Thursday's game