- The NFL adopted several new rules at the annual owners’ meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. The new rules will go into effect this coming season.
- The new rules involve kickoffs, overtime possessions, replay assists and the free-agent signing period, among other things.
- The league did not vote to ban the tush push play or adjust playoff seeding rules –– those proposals were tabled for further discussion.
Full Story
The NFL owners’ meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, wrapped up Tuesday, April 1. The meetings yielded several new rules but without the big changes many expected. That doesn’t mean those proposed changes are dead, only that more discussion will take place.
What’s happening with the tush push?
The rule change that dominated most of the weekend sessions was the Green Bay Packers’ proposed ban on the tush push play. However, no vote was taken, and the proposal was tabled for further discussion, perhaps at the next owners’ meetings in May.
Banning the play made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles was reported to have just 16 of the 24 votes needed to pass. The Buffalo Bills, who used it second-most in the league after the Eagles, would like it banned, believing it’s a player safety issue.
“It’s two things –– it’s force, added force number one, and then the posture of the players, you know, being asked to execute that type of play,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said. “That’s where my concern comes in.”
Will there be new playoff seeding in 2025?
Another potential rule change that was tabled was the Detroit Lions’ proposal to adjust the way teams are seeded for the playoffs. After a team earns the top spot, which comes with a bye and home-field advantage, other teams would be seeded by record, with no advantage given to teams that win their divisions.
Which new rules were adopted for 2025?
However, Tuesday did see the adoption of some new rules. The new kickoff setup is now permanent after last season’s trial run, with one slight change: The touchback spot has been moved from the 30-yard line up to the 35-yard line, which the league expects will increase actual returns.
A new overtime rule adopted for the regular season now gives both teams a possession, regardless of whether the first team scores a touchdown. That matches the NFL’s current playoff format.
Meanwhile, several new features were added to replay assist procedures. They include first-down measuring and the replay official’s ability to pick up flags thrown for things like face mask violations, running into or roughing the kicker and horse-collar tackles.
Is there any movement on Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers?
There was also news on the free agent front at the owners’ meetings. The biggest fish still out there is quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but maybe not for long. On Tuesday, Steelers President Art Rooney II talked about some of the positive signals leading to Rodgers signing with the team, such as pictures posted on social media of Rodgers throwing to new Steelers receiver DK Metcalf at UCLA over the weekend.
“I would say it was a good sign that he wanted to do that, and, you know, we keep hearing that, you know, he’s, I guess, headed in our direction, and so that seems to be all signs are positive so far,” Rooney said.
Rooney also acknowledged that it has taken longer than expected to get a commitment from Rodgers and that his organization won’t wait forever—just “a little while longer.”
One possible deadline is the NFL draft, which begins April 24. Teams usually like to have their major free agent signings wrapped up by then so they know where to focus during the draft process.
