NFL Owners Vote to Change Trade Deadline, Injured Reserve Rules, Pending Union Approval

As mentioned yesterday, the NFL owners were set to vote on some possible rule changes such as pushing back the trade deadline and amending the rules for injured reserve. For the trade deadline, the new version would push it back two weeks putting it at Week 8 of the regular season as opposed to Week 6.

As far as injured reserve, the owners were voting on an "Injured Reserve exemption" rule that gives teams one spot for a 'marquee player' that can return in the same season he is placed on IR. This would have helped a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars last year with a player like running back Rashad Jennings.

With the owners passing the exemption, teams will now have the option of placing one injured player on essentially an 8-week Disabled List, similar to the 60-day DL in baseball. If the player is on the team's 53-man roster to start the year, then suffers a major injury, they no longer face a lost season.

these rules will need to be approved and agreed upon by the players union before they become official changes, however.