How the Seattle Seahawks Scored a Touchdown on a Kickoff in Pittsburgh

Every once in a while, football delivers a play so strange you have to replay it three or four times to believe what you saw.

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That is exactly what happened in Pittsburgh on Sunday in Week 2 when the Seattle Seahawks pulled off one of the most unusual touchdowns in recent memory.

Seahawks Score First-Ever Kickoff Touchdown After NFL Rule Change

The Seahawks were holding a slim 17–14 lead in the second half when they kicked off to the Steelers after just kicking a field goal. Nothing looked out of the ordinary at first.

The ball landed around the 10, right in the new “landing zone”, which is between the 20-yard line and the end zone. That is where things got wacky.

The ball bounced high, bouncing through Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson's hands, and rolled into the end zone. Johnson then ignored the ball, thinking it was going to be a standard touchback.

The problem is that under the new NFL kickoff rules introduced in 2024, it was a LIVE BALL.

Under the revised rules, any ball that lands in the landing zone (the 20 to the endzone) and stays in bounds is live. The receiving team can grab it and return it, or let it roll out of the end zone, or catch it in the end zone for a touchback, but the kicking team can also recover it.

Seattle’s George Holani sprinted after the ball and fell on it in the back of the end zone, and the officials signaled a touchdown for the Seahawks.

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Football’s New Version of a Trick Question

The play worked almost like a live fumble. The Steelers' rookie thought the play was over, but the Seahawks cover team knew the rulebook better.

Thanks to Seattle’s special teams for their awareness and changing a routine kickoff into a game-changing, never forget it moment.

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