Recapping the approved NFL rule changes coming for 2025
Recapping the approved NFL rule changes coming for 2025 The NFL adopted several rules proposals, including changes to overtime and replay assist, but show down one of the Lions' proposals and tabled another
The Lions' push to eliminate automatic first downs on defensive holding and illegal contact failed to motion during Tuesday's vote at the Annual League Meeting. Two other proposals from Detroit were tabled until May.
Those were among a host of proposals voted on by the owners Tuesday. Here's a recap.
Touchbacks on kickoffs now at the 35
Touchbacks on kickoffs will now bring the ball out to the 35-yard line. Last season, touchbacks came out to the 30. The original proposal last season was going to bring the ball to the 35, but was amended to the 30. The hope for the league is this will create more returns on kickoffs, as touchbacks to the 35 will look to de-incentivize teams from kicking deep.
Both teams get possess the football in overtime in the regular season
Overtime in the regular season will now have the same rules as in the postseason, with the exception of the amount of time in the period. Regular-season overtime will remain 10 minutes, but both teams will have the opportunity to possess the football, just like in the postseason. Overtime in the playoffs will remain 15 minutes, which was the original proposal for this year for the regular season but was amended.
Replay assist expanded
Replay assist will be expanded to help officials on penalties called on the field. It will not, however, be meant to call penalties that were not initially called on the field. This is just to help pick up flags when needed.
IR designation at roster cutdown
Article XVII, Section 17.16 of the Constitution and Bylaws was amended to allow teams to designate two players for return at the roster reduction to 53 players.
Additional designated injured reserve returns
Teams that make the postseason will receive two additional "Designated for Returns", increasing their maximum from eight players to 10.
Point differential as tiebreaker for contracts
Point Differential will now be the third tiebreaker for awarding contracts.
Video and phone calls during legal tampering
As a one-year experiment, teams can have one video or phone call with up to five free unrestricted free agents during the two-day legal tampering period before free agency officially begins. Teams can make travel arrangements with such players upon agreeing to terms.
Kicking balls can now be prepared
Teams can now prepare kicking football ("K-Balls") before game day, similar to the process allowed for game balls.
Scouting credentials for potential playoff opponents
Teams that may qualify for the postseason can obtain scouting credentials for games in Weeks 17 and 18 played by potential postseason opponents. Teams hosting Wild Card games now also have to provide scouting credentials to all teams within the same conference who are participating in the postseason.
Other tabled proposals
Among the proposals that were tabled until May include the big one in many eyes — the vote to eliminate the Tush Push. Also on the table is Detroit's proposal to seed postseason teams based on record, but could be amended to where the current format would be used unless a division winner finishes below .500, in which case they would not get a home playoff game.
The Lions also had a proposal tabled that would have allowed teams to place players on injured reserve before the roster cutdown to 53 players to not count against the 90-man roster. Between the active roster, injured reserve and other lists, teams currently cannot hold more than 90 players on their roster during the season.
Rich McKay, Co-Chairman of the Competition Committee and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons, said one potential amendment that could be discussed is increasing the limit to 95 players after the trade deadline.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
34 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Titans embrace Callahan's competition hoping to boost performance, accountability and wins
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Drop a ball, lose points. A red zone touchdown catch isn't worth six but still nets points. Jump offside earns a deduction. Lose a wide receiver in coverage also hurts. The Tennessee Titans don't kick off coach Brian Callahan's second season until Sept. 7 at Denver. With the Titans going 3-14 and losing the final six games, Callahan made some changes all designed to help Tennessee win more in 2025. The biggest new offseason feature is an internal competition. Callahan broke up the Titans into eight teams with a captain and assistant with rankings updated daily. Teams earn — or lose — points for what they do particularly on the field. For pro athletes, that's all they needed to hear. Outside linebacker Dre'Mont Jones, an offseason free agent signee going into his seventh NFL season, said Wednesday that the Titans are '100%' bought into Callahan's offseason competition. Jones said everything they do is a competition, keeping energy high. 'We need that competition,' Jones said. 'We have a young football team. We need to keep that edge and that competitive (approach) throughout the whole entire offseason leading into the season.' Tennessee lost six games in Callahan's debut season by eight points or fewer. Combined with a roster stocked with 48 new players, this competition is designed to have the Titans hold each other accountable for mistakes including turnovers, penalties and mental errors that prove so costly in an NFL season. Callahan knows this won't show results that matter until September and October at the earliest. This is all part of his focus on doing everything possible for the Titans to be better. 'A lot of it was kind of through this offseason program that we developed and how do we best win football games? And how do I best put our team in position to do that? How do I coach that better? And how do I do a better job from a leadership perspective for our players and our staff?' Callahan said. Jones is on a team captained by running back Tony Pollard who likes how Callahan also mixed up assignments in the locker room. No longer are position groups sitting together. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley is next to rookie quarterback Cam Ward. 'You got to talk to different guys, get to know people throughout the locker room,' said Pollard, who now has cornerback L'Jarius Sneed and defensive lineman Keondre Coburn to the right. 'So it's just, it's a great thing just connecting with the whole team.' That talking isn't done just inside the locker room. Part of the schedule includes time for each group to get to know each other better by discussing four H's: history, heroes, hopes and heartbreaks. 'That's just a great thing just learning backstories, what guys have been through and what they've had to overcome to be where they are now,' Pollard said. Callahan hasn't shared what the rewards will be for the winners. It doesn't matter. Linebacker Cody Barton, who signed a three-year deal in March, joked that he heard winners got a car and asked for that to be confirmed. A pat on the back also works. Right guard Kevin Zeitler is another newcomer going into his 14th NFL season. He said every NFL team has its own approach to the offseason program with some business-like, others 'super competitive and fiery' with others making it fun. 'Having an extra competition throughout the day to be more on your details. ... it makes it more fun,' Zeitler said. Treylon Burks working Callahan said Treylon Burks, the Titans' 18th pick overall in 2022 as part of the A.J. Brown trade, is doing more in his rehab from a partially torn ACL that limited him to five games and four catches last season. Burks is doing more than Callahan expected at the beginning of the offseason program. Burks is doing more individual drills and routes. Callahan said the hope is Burks will be cleared by the start of training camp. ___ AP NFL:
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
The next Travis Hunter? Not quite, but Packers are working Bo Melton at WR and CB
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers wide receiver Bo Melton made it crystal clear that he's not switching to cornerback right now. If anything, he's trying to play both positions. Rich in wide receivers and perhaps lacking cornerback depth, head coach Matt LaFleur raised the idea last week of Melton working at cornerback. Why? The Packers have been impressed with Melton's special teams ability. He plays cornerback on their punt return unit, taking backward drops and getting physical with opposing fliers. He also plays flier on their punt coverage unit, so he has experience tackling in the open field. Advertisement Trying Melton at cornerback wasn't just a recent thought. Not long after Melton signed with the Packers in December 2022, LaFleur asked if he had ever played cornerback. Melton played the position in high school and sparingly at the beginning of his Rutgers career, but he was drafted by the Seahawks in the 2022 seventh round as a wideout. Videos of Melton working on his drops and ball skills with other defensive backs at Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice took off online, but it's important to remember that this is a June experiment that might improve Melton's chances of making the 53-man roster, not a Jaire Alexander replacement plan. 'It's just something that came up,' Melton said after Wednesday's practice. 'I want to give it a shot. I'm still a wide receiver, so I'm not really transitioning to no cornerback, but if it works, it works.' Jeff Hafley coaching up Bo Melton — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) June 11, 2025 Melton didn't realize how much his position addition would resonate with people until he checked his phone after practice. 'I was like, 'Shoot, maybe this is bigger than what I thought,'' he said. 'I just went out there, like I said, gave it a shot. I kind of liked it a little bit.' Not only did Melton emphasize that he's not strictly a cornerback, he also made clear that he's no Travis Hunter. The No. 2 pick in this year's draft and reigning Heisman Trophy winner has taken the football world by storm. After playing both sides at Colorado, he'll do so for the Jaguars, too. 'Travis is a different athlete, as everybody knows,' said Melton, who himself might be the fastest player on the Packers. 'He's a Heisman Trophy winner, won a lot of awards. I'm not going to compare myself to somebody that's done that, but what I will say is I like to run for days.' Advertisement Melton played in only five games in 2023, but he was the team's first 100-yard receiver that season when he caught six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown in Minneapolis to keep the Packers' season afloat in Week 17. Despite being on the active roster all last season, however, Melton only caught eight passes for 91 yards. The Packers drafted wide receivers Matthew Golden in the first round and Savion Williams in the third, in addition to returning Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. That group of five doesn't even include Christian Watson, who is ahead of schedule in his rehab from a Week 18 torn ACL. They also signed veteran wideout Mecole Hardman this offseason. Christian Watson, cleats and gloves on, continues working his way back from his Week 18 torn ACL — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) June 11, 2025 At cornerback, though, the Packers are much lighter. After the Monday release of Alexander, their top three are Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs and Carrington Valentine, with a slew of unproven players behind them like Kalen King, Kamal Hadden and Gregory Junior. If Melton were only playing wide receiver, he might still make the initial 53-man roster as the sixth wideout because of his special teams ability, but would struggle to crack the regular-season rotation. Why not try earning a spot higher on the depth chart at a different position in addition to competing at your original one? 'I think versatility is critical and it creates added value for that player,' LaFleur said. 'I just love everything about the guy, how he shows up every day ready to compete and give his best effort.' LaFleur even showed the team clips of Melton working out on Tuesday morning to demonstrate the coach's desired effort level. 'We just thought that if there is somebody that can potentially do both,' LaFleur said, 'he would be that guy.' Advertisement Melton is familiar with route concepts from his time playing receiver, so he has a better understanding of how to defend certain routes as a cornerback. He doesn't want to take advantage of his fellow wide receivers too much, however, so he doesn't look at the offense's practice script that he has access to as a wideout. 'I was watching film last night and he's pretty sticky in coverage for his first time out there,' safety Evan Williams said. 'Any time we can get a guy like that who's just an athlete out there, it's pretty cool, in my opinion, for him to be as versatile as he is and play both sides of the ball.' Despite the encouraging early feedback, Melton said he's still not the best cornerback in his family. That would be Max, his younger brother, who was drafted by the Cardinals in the second round last year to play corner. Bo didn't tell Max he was practicing at cornerback, so Max learned when he saw the news online and called his older brother with a simple question: 'What the hell are you doing?' .@MecoleHardman4 had the offense turnt after this 70+ yard TD 🔥 — Green Bay Packers (@packers) June 11, 2025 Max wasn't the only person caught off guard. 'That was definitely confusing,' quarterback Jordan Love said. 'During the jog-through, I was mentioning that it looked like Bo was a receiver out there (wearing his typical white No. 80 jersey), but he was actually playing DB. So I was trying not to throw it to him, but nah, it was fine and they actually switched jerseys and gave him a little green jersey later on.' 'I actually caught a pass and … I turned out, took a few steps and saw someone do a fly-by out of my peripheral,' tight end Tucker Kraft said. 'I turned around. I'm like, who was that? Like a wide receiver just decided to mess around and come tag off on me or something like that, but no, yeah, Bo was out there taking snaps at defense. I was very surprised, to say the least.' Melton said that teammates learned he'd be practicing at cornerback when he stood beside them during individual drills on Tuesday. Advertisement 'Everybody turned and looked at me like, 'What are you doing?'' Melton said. 'I said, 'I'm with y'all today.' I was telling everybody before and they were like, 'You lying. You lying.' I started putting bets on it, so people owe me money now … it was fun just to see everybody's comments. I don't got Twitter. I've got Instagram, so I probably shouldn't have Twitter. I know that joint was probably jumping.' Jumping it was, but as those who made the decision clarified, this is simply a trial run to see if a player everyone in the building already loves can add even more value to the Packers this season. 'There are very few guys who have done it in our league,' general manager Brian Gutekunst said. 'There have been a few and when a guy's able to do that, it certainly helps your football team. Bo is everything we want in a football player out there as far as his ability as a receiver, certainly on (special) teams. If he's able to add to his arsenal, that makes him really, really valuable to us.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Giants Flop Daniel Jones Could Steal Starting Job Amid Bad News for Colts' Anthony Richardson
Giants Flop Daniel Jones Could Steal Starting Job Amid Bad News for Colts' Anthony Richardson originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is chasing medical opinions. Advertisement And that might leave Daniel Jones chasing the starting job. Richardson, has an AC joint issue in his throwing shoulder and so he is traveling to Los Angeles for a second opinion as he meets with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache. A top-five pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Richardson is among the most physically gifted players on the planet. But a shoulder injury cut his rookie year short, and he didn't improve as a thrower in his second season. And now he's hurt. Enter Daniel Jones. The Colts signed Jones as insurance. ... or maybe something more. And now that Richardson has been scratched from minicamp. The former New York Giants quarterback Jones could "fall upward'' and win the Colts No. 1 job. Advertisement They did give Jones $14 million for the year, a hefty sum for a backup. And he was once New York's first-round pick and top QB. Did Daniel Jones flop badly in the Big Apple? That's the view of many critics ... though he was - just that one time - a playoff QB and a playoff winner, too, which is how he earned his one major payday in the NFL. Can he now plow forward and give the maybe-contending Colts (who play in the awful AFC South) stability at the game's most important position in a way that Richardson has not? As Indy waits and worries about Richardson's fate? That might be the Jones-related view, too. Advertisement Related: Giants' Russell Wilson Getting Rave Reviews for Love Message to Ciara Related: Daniel Jones Finds New Home, Generous Contract in Free Agency This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
