23 PR Disasters That Became Absolute Nightmares For Everyone Involved

When you become well-known, whether as a company or a celebrity, sooner or later you're going to end upin the public eye. And with that comes opinions, both good and bad. Naturally, nobody wants the bad ones, because adamaged reputationcan cost money, opportunities, and sometimes even everything you've worked for.

Redditorsacross different threads asked people to share what they think are theworst PR disastersof all time, and there wasno shortage of answers. We've rounded up some of the most interesting ones below, so scroll down to read them, and if you think any other cases deserve a mention, drop them in the comments.

The Segway. They played it coy, dropped hints about this revolutionary new technology and how blown away we'd be, and how future cities would be redesigned from the ground up around this incredible breakthrough - an innovation touched by god.It was a scooter. We could all see it was a scooter. It doesn't hover, or make your teeth whiter while you sleep. Just a scooter.

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The one that irritated me the most was when Bank of America had one of their customers arrested for inquiring about a questionable check. The guy had made a transaction with someone on craigslist and was a little suspicious about the check he got, so he took it into his local branch to ask if it was legit. The teller held it for a bit, then said, "yeah, go ahead and sign it." Once he signed it they told him he was guilty of passing a bad check and arrested him.

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Sarah Palin being named as the Republican Vice Presidential Nominee for the year 2008. I said this last time this came up and I posted.For those who were to young to be in tune to the political situation of the day. Senator's John McCain and Barak Obama were the nominee's, Obama picked BIden as his running mate and McCain decided to pick the (then unknown) Former Governor of Alaska, Mrs Palin. The News cycle tried to get to know her, tried to introduce her to the people who would be voting her, but it was just constant "wait, wut?" reactions as her "Foreign Policy Experiance" came off sounding like "I can see Russia from my house (Thank you Tina Fey/SNL).Then there was a rather lengthy interview (or series) with Katie Couric, where Palin said "I love to read! It's Great!" and got stumped by the question "So what's the last thing you've read?"And things just kept spiraling out of control until the Election day feed from McCain HQ looked like eight guys in suits quietly hiding from reality while Ted Nugent tried to get some energy in the room.

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VWs emissions scandal. CEO resignation, huge drop in market value and sales, court cases, compensation claims....

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Anybody else remember the olean/olestra "Wow" potato chips back in the 90s? The idea was that the olean in the chips would prevent your body from absorbing some of the fat and calories, so you could eat the chips and not put on weight as fast. They eventually had to put a little disclaimer on the bag that mentioned they could cause "oily discharge". They gave a lot of people diarrhea and ruined a lot underwear.

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Jesy Nelson's solo debut.was so disasterous all the goodwill she had from Little Mix and her mental health work disappeared in basically 3 days.GrumpyPancake:I'm still so upset about her and how her whole solo thing started and immediately derailed. Especially bc I enjoyed the debut single, despite all the criticisms of it, and was looking forward to new music in that direction. The black girl cosplay tho, the blackfishing, girl why

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The disaster recovery official that spend a huge amount of time and emails worrying about what to wear on camera while hoards of people were losing their lives, trapped or living in squalor immediately after Hurricane Katrina.

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2006, then Senator George Allen referred to one of his assistants a certain name. He tried to play it off that he really didn't know what that name meant, or that it wasn't really meant to be racist, but no one bought it, and he lost reelection.

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The Chevy Nova. For some reason it just didn't sell well in Latin America. ("No va" means "doesn't go" in Spanish).

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DaBaby randomly being homophobic at the peak of his carreer, then having the worst response ever to a controversy like this where he said something like "my gay fans arent like that"and then on top of the controversy his carreer was already kinda imploding because he was releasing the worst singles ever i think its pretty much impossible for him to recover he lost the opportunity to be the new ludacris the pop-rap feature guy.

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Ashlee Simpson's SNL debacle. She was not well and couldn't sing, as was depicted in her reality show. Nevertheless, she chose to show up and lip sync, the wrong track played, and humiliation ensued.She kept going though. Her next album debuted at #1. She returned to SNL to sing for real, and did well, but people didn't talk about it much because it went well. She phased out of her commercial peak for unrelated reasons...I think she was just never poised to be a very big star for long. People still remember the incident and it does come up in interviews sometimes. Things turned out fine for her because she didn't blow the money she made and she's busy being a mom.

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Adele cancelling her Vegas residency a day before. So like all these fans flew in from wherever and were literally staying at the hotel when the announcement was made. And then there were all the people who had made accomodations for the next three months afterward.

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ARTPOP was pretty wack to live through. If she wasn't screaming at Perez Hilton to stop stalking her outside her apartment, she was melting down on Twitter about Katy and Madonna to promote a song with R Kelly.

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Hilaria Baldwin being exposed for faking she is Spanish and from Spain. Neither true.

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New Balance announcing support of the Trump administration for its pro domestic manufacturing policies.The left started to boycott them and burn their shoes.Meanwhile, the far right attempted to coopt them as the "official shoes of the alt right.".

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Barcelona's stupid hashtag when Messi got busted avoiding taxes. Even their own fans weren't defending him. #WeAreAllMessi

Paramore, when the Farro brothers left the band after the third album, Josh posted a rant online that personally attacked Hayley Williams as a diva, and more detrimentally, said the band was a fraud since Hayley was the only one signed to a label, and the rest of the group were just her employees.While the initial damage control was pretty effective, especially an hour long MTV interview where Hayley and the remaining members explained the intricacies of the situation, the image of the band, especially among those who already saw them as "the ones with the Twilight song", was pretty bad.Over time this has lessened, both albums released after the departure were met with great reviews, and Zach Farro rejoining the band indicated that maybe Josh' claims weren't as substantial as he claimed.

Story time, this is a blast from that past. Guns N' Roses, biggest band in the world dissappears around 1993. Axl Rose returns having fired the entire old band, Slash etc, after being in hiding for 8 years. Has a guy looking like the Alien from Alien on rhythm and a dude with a KFC bucket on his head playing lead guitar. Same guy does a numchuck dance before his guitar solo slot. First North American show in 8 years, band no shows in Vancouver, riot, Axl's private jet still parked on the tarmac at LAX. show cancelled, police have to tear gas the downtown.Tour goes on a few weeks, disaster VMA slot, Axl refuses to elaborate on whether a long awaited album will come out all, looks terrible and sounds out of breath. Axl then refused entry to nightclub in NYC because he was wearing animal fur. Sulks in his hotel room, no shows at Philly, second massive riot, millions in damages. Tour cancelled by Live Nation, Axl doesn't emerge for another 4 years.

Lee Ryan from the British boy band Blue ruining their US debut by saying that 9/11 terrorist attacks were "blown out of proportion" and asking people to be more concerned about the animals.

The Slap has turned out to be much bigger than I thought it would when it happened.xandrenia:This is truly one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen on live TV. Here we have a grown man getting up and slapping someone over an arguably offensive joke, screaming and cursing in his face, and nobody knew for a couple minutes whether it was real or not. It's still so shocking to watch.

Ariana Granda licking doughnuts and saying she hates America…..

Katy Perry's lead up and promo for WitnessJust the entire thing, the music videos, the 24 hour live stream, the performance at SNL, dressing up as Hilary Clinton for Halloween, hosting the VMAsAll of those had multiple people working on it and going yasss this is a great idea.

Taylor Swift and her private jet usage. She says she rents it out to others. As if that makes it better.

byCosmopolite

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March 31, 2026

23 PR Disasters That Became Absolute Nightmares For Everyone Involved

When you become well-known, whether as a company or a celebrity, sooner or later you're going to end upin the public ...

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Ambrosia's Christopher North, keyboardist with soft-rock hitmakers, dies at 75

Christopher North, who played keyboards as a founding member of the soft-rock group Ambrosia, died Monday in a hospice in Los Angeles. He was 75.

His death was confirmed by Ambrosia's Joe Puerta, who said the cause was throat cancer. According to Puerta, North was seriously injured late last year when he was hit by a car as he walked into Fromin's deli in Santa Monica.

In a post on Ambrosia's Facebook account, the banddescribedNorth as "the Hammond B3 King" after his preferred instrument and said his "sonic architecture defined a generation of progressive and soft rock." North "was a keyboard wizard," the group added, "who brought an unmatched intensity and emotional depth to every performance" and whose work "created 'aural landscapes' that balanced virtuosity with soulful, radio-friendly hooks."

Purveyors of the breezy, lightly soulful sound that also brought success in the mid-1970s to acts like America and Seals & Crofts (whoseDash Crofts diedlast week), Ambrosia scored a string of top 40 hits in the second half of that decade, including two that went to No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100: "How Much I Feel" and "Biggest Part of Me," the latter of which was nominated for a Grammy Award for pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.

Today both songs are regarded as key examples of the style that became known retroactively as yacht rock; on Spotify, each has more than 120 million streams.

North was born Jan. 26, 1951, and grew up in San Pedro. He formed Ambrosia in 1970 with Puerta on bass, singer and guitarist David Pack and drummer Burleigh Drummond. The group's self-titled debut album came out in 1975; at the time, the band had a more ornate sound à la Genesis. Yet it had smoothed out by 1978's "Life Beyond L.A.," its first LP for the Warner Bros. label.

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"What we didn't like about progressive rock was that it was too flamboyant without substance," PacktoldThe Times in 1999. "Those bands dated themselves by making the arrangements more of the central focus than the quality of songwriting. I think that we were different in that respect."

The album "One Eighty" came out in 1980 and yielded a second hit after "Biggest Part of Me" in "You're the Only Woman (You & I)," which peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100. The next year, Ambrosia's song "Poor Rich Boy" appeared on the soundtrack of the movie "Arthur" alongside Christopher Cross' chart-topping "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)."

Ambrosia broke up in 1982 but reunited in 1989; Pack later left, though the band's other three founders continued to perform. North's survivors include a brother and two children.

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This story originally appeared inLos Angeles Times.

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March 31, 2026

Ambrosia's Christopher North, keyboardist with soft-rock hitmakers, dies at 75

Christopher North, who played keyboards as a founding member of the soft-rock group Ambrosia, died Monday in a hospice in...

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King Charles Will Not Be Able to Meet Epstein Victims During U.S. Visit amid Ongoing Investigations

Ahead of King Charles' visit to the U.S. next month, some lawmakers have called for the monarch to meet with Jeffrey Epstein victims

NEED TO KNOW

• PEOPLE understands that the King will not be able to meet with survivors during the trip because of concerns that it will prejudice ongoing police investigations in the U.K.

• King Charles and Queen Camilla have both affirmed their continued support for Epstein survivors in past statements about the former Prince Andrew's ties to Epstein

Despite calls from some lawmakers forKing Charlesto meet with Jeffrey Epstein victims during his upcoming visit to the United States, such a meeting will not be possible.

Due to ongoing U.K. investigations into matters related to Epstein, King Charles and Queen Camilla will not be able to meet with survivors during the state visit in late April, PEOPLE understands.

Sources indicate that the concern is that anything emerging from such a meeting could potentially affect or prejudice the work of British law enforcement or any legal action that may or may not follow.

Over the last year, the King has been navigating the fallout from Epstein's ties to his brother, the formerPrince Andrew, and Andrew's ex-wife,Sarah Ferguson. Andrew, 66, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Apalace statement released in October 2025, when King Charlesmoved to strip his younger brother of his royal titles and honorsover his connections to Epstein, said that the monarch and Queen Camilla "wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."

Following Andrew's arrest in February, the King and Queenreleased another statement, which contained their first direct reference to Andrew's "conduct" as well as a renewed statement of support for Epstein's victims.

"The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor's conduct," the palace said in the statement on Feb. 9.

"While the specific claims in question are for Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police, we stand ready to support them as you would expect," the statement continued.

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"As was previously stated, Their Majesties' thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse," they concluded.

The King and Queen's state visit to the U.S. was confirmed on March 31. Though exact dates and events have yet to be announced, it is expected that the King will address a joint session of Congress.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up forour free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Rep. Ro Khanna, one of the most vocal members of Congress calling for justice and transparency regarding the full Epstein files, was the one whopenned an open letterto the King calling for him to meet with the victims.

"As author of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, I respectfully ask that you privately meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's and Ghislaine Maxwell's abuse, so they may speak to you directly about the ways powerful individuals and institutions failed them. Survivors want this meeting," Khanna wrote in his missive to the King.

"I make this request in light of recent developments in the United Kingdom, including renewed scrutiny of individuals and institutions with ties to Epstein and his network," he continued. "These developments have raised serious questions about conduct, access, and whether positions of public trust were misused or whether public institutions helped shield wrongdoing. Your call for a 'full, fair and proper' investigation, and for the law to take its course, recognizes the seriousness of these concerns."

"As you are aware, this is not solely an American matter. Epstein's network had significant ties to the United Kingdom through Ghislaine Maxwell, through Epstein's relationships with British public figures, and through the social and political circles in which he operated...A meeting with survivors would provide an opportunity to identify any additional information British institutions and individuals may be able to share and open a dialogue about whether there will be a full accounting of how Epstein's and Maxwell's network operated in the United Kingdom. It would also ensure that survivors are heard directly and that these matters are addressed with transparency, seriousness and accountability."

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

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March 31, 2026

King Charles Will Not Be Able to Meet Epstein Victims During U.S. Visit amid Ongoing Investigations

Ahead of King Charles' visit to the U.S. next month, some lawmakers have called for the monarch to meet with Jeffrey ...

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Rubio says US can see 'finish line' on Iran war

By Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday Washington could see the "finish line" in the ‌Iran war, which is now in its fifth week, and the United States ‌will have to reexamine ties with NATO after the conflict.

"We can see the finish line. It's not today, ​it's not tomorrow, but it is coming," Rubio told Fox News Channel's "Hannity" show.

The war began on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. Tehran responded by launching its own attacks on Israel and Gulf states with U.S. bases.

Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran and ‌Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed ⁠thousands and displaced millions. The war has also raised oil prices and shaken global markets.

Rubio said there were messages being exchanged between Iran ⁠and the U.S. and there is the potential to have a "direct meeting at some point" between the two sides.

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"There are messages being exchanged, there are talks going on. There is the ​potential ​for direct meeting at some point," Rubio said.

President ​Donald Trump - who has offered shifting ‌timelines and objectives for the war, ranging from toppling Iran's government to weakening its military and regional influence, said on Tuesday the U.S. could end its military operations within two to three weeks.

Rubio also said Washington will have to reexamine its relations with NATO after the Iran war.

"Ultimately, that's a decision for the president to make, and he'll have ‌to make it," Rubio said.

"But I do think, ​unfortunately, we are going to have to reexamine whether ​or not this alliance that has ​served this country well for a while is still serving that ‌purpose, or has it now become a ​one-way street where America ​is simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our allies, they're going to deny us basing rights, and they're going ​to deny us overflight," he ‌added in reference to use of military bases.

European leaders have refused to ​get involved in offensive operations against Iran.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil; ​Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Stephen Coates)

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March 31, 2026

Rubio says US can see 'finish line' on Iran war

By Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ...

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Trump says he plans to attend Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship

President Donald Trumpis planning to make an appearance at theSupreme Courtas the justices weigh whether his administration canrestrict birthright citizenship.

Trump's daily schedule has him at the Court for oral arguments at 10 a.m. on April 1. He told reporters March 31 during an Oval Office event that he likely would attend the hearing.

"I'm going,"Trump said, adding: "I think so. I do believe. Because I've listened to this argument for so long."

"No Kings" protesters gathered with signs, chants and costumes on Saturday, part of the third such coordinated demonstration against President Donald Trump's actions and policies since he took office for his second term. More than 3,000 events are expected throughout the nation. See moments from the protests across the nation. See the signs protesters created.

The Roebling Suspension Bridge near Cincinnati stands tall in the background while a protester holds a sign that reads "Elvis forever Trump never," at a protest against President Trump and his administration's policies on March 28, 2026.

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Signs range from poignant to funny to critical at 'No Kings' protests

"No Kings" protesters gathered with signs, chants and costumes on Saturday, part of thethird such coordinated demonstrationagainst PresidentDonald Trump's actions and policies since he took office for his second term. More than3,000 events are expected throughout the nation. See moments from the protests across the nation. See the signs protesters created.The Roebling Suspension Bridge near Cincinnati stands tall in the background while a protester holds a sign that reads "Elvis forever Trump never," at a protest against President Trump and his administration's policies on March 28, 2026.

Trumppreviously saidhe was considering attending a Supreme Court hearing on his tariffs, but ultimately opted against it. He would make history if he follows through this time. No sitting president has attended a Supreme Court argument.

Trump on his first day back in office last yearsigned an executive orderdenying automatic citizenship to babies born in the U.S. unless they have at least one parent who is a citizen or legal permanent resident. The move is a dramatic reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which states "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." The order was quickly challenged in court.

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The 14th Amendment has long been interpreted to give citizenship to nearly everyone born in the U.S., other than children of diplomats and invading armies. Native Americans also were excluded from birthright citizenship until a 1924 law.

"It is the craziest thing I've ever seen," Trump said March 31 in criticizing birthright citizenship. "It's been so badly handled by legal people over the years."

It could be a busy day for Trump. He also plans toaddress the nationabout the Iran war at 9 p.m. on April 1.

Contributing:Maureen Groppe, Bart Jansen

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump says he plans to attend Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship

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March 31, 2026

Trump says he plans to attend Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship

President Donald Trumpis planning to make an appearance at theSupreme Courtas the justices weigh whether his administrati...

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US journalist abducted in Iraq; State Department says she was warned of threats

The Iraqi government is now investigating after an American journalist was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday.

The journalist, who was identified as freelancer Shelly Kittleson by one of the outlets she reported for, was abducted by "unknown individuals", Iraq's Ministry of the Interior said in astatement on Facebook.

According to the Ministry, security forces launched an immediate operation and were able to intercept a vehicle believed to be linked to Kittleson's abduction. Kittleson, however, was not found inside the vehicle.

One suspect has been arrested. Scripps News reached out to the Ministry to get more information about the suspect and is awaiting a response.

In a post on X, Dylan Johnson, the Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs for the U.S. State Department, said that the individual arrested is believed to be associated with Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hizballah.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT |Trump tells allies: 'Get your own oil' as Iran blocks Strait of Hormuz

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Without naming Kittleson, Johnson also added, "The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them, and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible."

Scripps News understands Kittleson was contacted at least 4 times in recent days about credible threats, including Monday night by the FBI.

The search for Kittleson and others involved in her abduction is ongoing.

According to Kittleson's X account, her work primarily focuses on the Middle East and Afghanistan. Kittleson has reported for several news outlets, including Al-Monitor, BBC, Politico, Foreign Policy, and more.

In a statement on their website, Al-Monitor expressed concern over Kittleson's abduction, stating, "We call for her safe and immediate release. We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work."

The Committee to Protect Journalists also called for Kittleson's safe return in a statement to Scripps News, saying "CPJ calls on Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to locate Shelley Kittleson, ensure her immediate and safe release, and hold those responsible to account."

byCosmopolite

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March 31, 2026

US journalist abducted in Iraq; State Department says she was warned of threats

The Iraqi government is now investigating after an American journalist was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday. The...

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NFL kickoff rules 2026: League makes changes to onside kick, more

The NFL made a significant change to its kickoff in 2024,instituting the "dynamic kickoff"to boost the percentage of returned kicks and make one of the league's most dangerous plays safer.

The league is continuing its efforts to refine the play by tweaking its kickoff rule ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

The most notable approved rule change will allow teams to attempt an onside kick at any point during the game. In 2025, teams were only allowed to try an onside kick when trailing, so the rule change will give clubs a bit more flexibility.

NFL REFS:NFL institutes new rule to aid potential replacement officials

OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> CB Trent McDuffie: Traded to Los Angeles Rams (previous team: Kansas City Chiefs)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> RB David Montgomery: Traded to Houston Texans (previous team: Detroit Lions)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)

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2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades

OT Tytus Howard:Traded to Cleveland Browns(previous team: Houston Texans)

Despite this significant change, NFL teams will still have to declare an onside kick any time they attempt one. This is necessitated by the difference of alignment between the onside kick – which uses the NFL's traditional kickoff formation – and the NFL's dynamic kickoff, where a majority of the players from each team are lined up between the receiving team's 30- and 35-yard line.

With that in mind, surprise onside kicks – like the one Sean Payton famously dialed up to start the second half of the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl 44 win over the Indianapolis Colts – will remain out of the sport.

It remains unclear whether the NFL's rule change will result in an uptick in overall onside kick attempts, or if the need to declare them – along with their overall lack of efficacy – will continue to limit their use.

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Just five of the NFL's 52 onside kicks were recovered in 2025, according todata from The Football Database. That was good for a mark of 9.6% and up from three total recoveries and a 6% recovery rate in 2024, the first year of the NFL's dynamic kickoff.

NFL LEAGUE MEETINGS:Latest news, updates, storylines, rule changes

NFL kickoff rule changes

The onside kick rule isn't the only major kicking change the NFL's competition committee has instituted for the 2026 season. The following two rules have also been approved:

• To eliminate the kicking team's incentive to intentionally kick the ball out of bounds when kicking off from the 50-yard line.

• To modify the kickoff alignment requirements for the receiving team players in the setup zone.

The first of these rule changes effectively closed a loophole in the 2025 kickoff rules. Last season, a team kicking off from the 50-yard line after a personal foul penalty on the receiving team would benefit more from kicking a ball out of bounds (which would place the ball on the receiving team's 25-yard line) than they would from kicking a touchback (which would place the ball at the 30-yard line).

Under the NFL's new rule, touchbacks on kicks from the 50-yard line will be brought back out to the 20, eliminating the incentive to purposely sail a ball out of bounds.

Meanwhile, the alignment modifications will simply adjust how receiving team players are allowed to line up within the setup zone. The new rule will require just five players, instead of six, to have their front foot on the setup line – though just two players will be allowed to have their foot off the line in each of the setup zone's three areas.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NFL modifies onside kick rules, other kickoff bylaws for 2026

byCosmopolite

in

March 31, 2026

NFL kickoff rules 2026: League makes changes to onside kick, more

The NFL made a significant change to its kickoff in 2024,instituting the "dynamic kickoff"to boost the percenta...

Read More