For the second year in a row, owner Sheila Hamp and the Detroit Lions have proposed four rule changes for the NFL’s multi-billion dollar industry. This offseason, the Lions have prioritized making amendments to the NFL’s list of rules for the 2024 season, in addition to taking the next step as a franchise. Here’s a look at
1.) Teams can receive a third challenge by winning just one of their first two challenges.
Presently, NFL teams have two challenges at their disposal during a game, and can earn a third by winning each of their first two challenges. With this rule proposal, a team would receive a third challenge by simply winning one of its first two challenges. Additionally, a fourth challenge will not be permitted. Note: The Lions also proposed this exact rule revision last year, but failed to have it adopted. 2.) Remove the requirement that a player must spend a minimum of one day on the active roster following the final roster cutdown in order to become eligible to be designated for a return. Under the present roster rules, if a player suffers a significant injury during training camp or in an exhibition contest, a team is forced to do one of two things:
Place that player on injured reserve immediately, forcing the individual to be ineligible to return that season. b.) Have the player make the season-opening 53-man roster, keep him on the roster for a day and then place the individual on IR. By doing this, the said player would become eligible to return at some point during the season. In order to prevent such a nightmarish roster scenario for themselves and the rest of the league’s 32 franchises moving forward, the Lions are proposing the following:
