Nine possible rule changes were proposed by NFL clubs on Monday. There were several interesting proposals that included a possible change wild card seeding, the uniform policy as well as an onside kick alternative.
The Chargers issued a proposal where wild card teams would be seeded higher than division champions in the playoffs if the wild card team had four or more wins than a division champion that finished the regular season with a losing record. This comes after the 10-win Chargers blew a 27-0 lead in their wild card playoff loss to the Jaguars this past January. Los Angeles was the visiting team despite finishing the season with a better record than the AFC South division champion Jaguars.
If the Chargers' proposal had been put into effect last year, the Dallas Cowboys would have hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this past year's wild-card round. Instead, the 12-win Cowboys went to Tampa and defeated the eight-win Buccaneers in what was the final game of Tom Brady's career.
The Philadelphia Eagles proposed a change that would allow the use of the No. 0 to be put into circulation. The proposal also called for kickers and punters to be permitted to wear any jersey number from 0-49 and 90-99. Flexibility in assigning jersey numbers is the reason for this proposal.
Pick Six Newsletter
Crafted By The Best NFL Experts
Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
Philadelphia also proposed an amendment that would give teams a chance to keep possession after a score if they convert a 4th-and-20 play from their own 20-yard line. Similar rules are already in place in the XFL and USFL. In both leagues, teams can try to keep possession after a score by converting a 4th-and-15 from their own 25 yard-line. The Eagles made the proposal in order to create competitive equity and fan engagement.
The Detroit Lions issued three proposals, which included an amendment that would allow teams more challenge opportunities. The Rams called for an amendment that would allow a roughing the passer penalty to be subject to replay.
The only proposal that had anything to do with on-field play was submitted by the Jets, who proposed to expand the crackback prohibition to players who go in motion beyond the center to block a player below the waist. This is referred to as a "split-flow block".
Any change to the league's rulesbook would have to be approved by 75% of the owners during the annual league meetings. The NFL's Competition Committee is also eligible to submit their own proposals that the owners would also vote on before the start of the 2023 season.