The Detroit Lions pioneered a new third quarterback rule last year, and the team is sponsoring four proposals this spring, including one aimed at delaying the trade deadline and adjusting injured reserve.
The Lions are one of six teams along with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders who have proposed moving the trade deadline to Tuesday after their Week 10 games.
Currently, the trade deadline is the Tuesday after Week 8 of the regular season.
The bylaw proposal is designed to provide “clubs with more roster options, specifically related to player injuries,” and to align the NFL trade deadline more closely with the deadlines of other major sports leagues.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have filed a separate proposal to push back the trade deadline by one week to the Tuesday after their Week 9 games.
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All playing rules and bylaws proposals are scheduled to be voted on at the NFL's annual spring meeting March 24-27 in Orlando.
Last year, the Lions introduced a proposal to allow teams to dress their third baseman for games and not count that player toward their gameday roster. The proposal was amended and passed in time for the 2023 season.
Along with the trade deadline proposal, the Lions want owners to allow teams to keep the third challenge if one of the first two challenges is successful — currently, teams only get the third challenge if the first two are successful — and have proposed giving teams the opportunity for an unlimited number of custom trades to return in the postseason. season and eliminated the rule that a player must spend at least one day on the active roster after a roster reduction to be eligible to return from injured reserve.
Under current rules, teams can return eight players from injured reserve or non-football injury or illness lists for each season, including the postseason, and only if those players are on the 53-man roster after training camp cuts.
NFL teams will also consider rule changes to allow any foul to be challenged and modifications to kickoff rules will be discussed at the meeting.
Contact Dave Birkett at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @devperkit.
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