Detroit Lions again take prominent role in proposing rule changes

Last year, the Detroit Lions seemed to take a lead role in proposing rules changes to the NFL. Of the four they submitted, one was adopted; the emergency third quarterback rule.

The start of the new league year coincides with the league taking rule change proposals from teams, so that of course came this week and the league has announced the 12 proposals that will be voted on at the league meeting later this month (March 24-27).

The Lions are involved in four rule change proposals this year. Three are their proposals alone, so let's look at those, then the change the Lions are one of multiple teams involved with.

Detroit Lions involved in multiple rule change proposals for 2024

1. By Detroit; amends Rule 15, Section 1, Article 1, to protect a club's ability to challenge a third ruling following one successful challenge.

The Lions proposed this one last year too. The current rule is teams get two challenges, and are awarded a third challenge if they get both correct. This proposal only requires one successful challenge to get a third.

5. By Detroit; amends Article XVII, Section 17.16 (C) of the Constitution & Bylaws, to remove the requirement that a player must spend at least one day on the Active roster following the final roster reduction in order to become eligible to be designated for return.

Under the current roster rules, if a player suffers a significant enough injury during training camp or the preseason a team has two options:
1. Put them in IR immediately, and they are ineligible to return that season.
2. Keep them on the initial 53-man roster, have them on the roster for a day, then put them on IR so they are eligible to return that season.

Without diving too deep, the Lions' proposal would eliminate roster gymnastics they, and surely other teams, have had to do when final roster cuts are made heading into a season.

6. By Detroit; amends Article XVII, Section 17.16 (C) of the Constitution & Bylaws, to provide clubs with an unlimited number of designated for return transactions in the postseason.

The current allows teams to designate eight players to return from IR during an entire season. The Lions' proposal has the eight player limit restricted to the regular season, with no limit to the players who could be elevated during the playoffs.

Here's the full text of the proposed new rule.

"During each season a club will be permitted to return eight players during the regular season and an unlimited number of players during the postseason from either the Reserve/Injured or Reserve/Non-Football Injury/Illness List to its 53-player Active/Inactive List, or from Practice Squad; Injured to the Practice Squad."

Now on to the proposal that has been offered up by several teams.

9. By Cleveland, Detroit, New York Jets, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington; amends Article XVI, Section 16.6 of the Constitution & Bylaws, to move the trading deadline to the Tuesday after Week 10 games.

Moving the trade deadline back has become a topic in recent years. Currently it's the Tuesday after Week 8. The case for pushing it back is rooted in the recent expansions to a 17-game regular season and more playoff teams, which widens the number of teams theoretically alive to make the playoffs deeper into a season.

All 12 of the new proposals can be seen here. They will be voted on at the league meeting later this month (March 24-27).