Detroit Lions Submit Rule Proposals for 2024 NFL Season

The Detroit Lions aren't just focused on taking the next step as a franchise this offseason. They've also prioritized making amendments to the NFL's list of rules for the 2024 season.

For a second consecutive year, owner Sheila Hamp and the Lions have proposed four rule changes for the multi-billion dollar industry that is the NFL. A year ago, the league chose to adopt just one of Detroit's rule proposals: the emergency quarterback roster amendment.

Let's take a look at the four different proposals the Lions have sent the owners to review at their annual meeting at the end of this month. 

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:

a.) 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:

a.) Organizations are allowed to designate for return a maximum of two players who are placed on an applicable reserve list during the business day of the final roster cutdown. A player who is eligible to return must be identified as “Designated for Return” and “Returned to Practice” on the initial day that he returns to practice.

b.) Organizations are allowed to designate for return players who are placed on an applicable reserve list after 4 p.m. EST on or after the day following the final roster cutdown. Just like above, a player who is eligible to return must be listed as “Designated for Return” and “Returned to Practice” on the very first day that he returns to practice.

3.) Allow an unlimited number of players on the various reserve injury lists to return during the postseason.

In the present NFL bylaws, teams are permitted to return a total of eight players from a reserve injury list (IR, reserve/non-football injury list) during the entirety of a season.

Hamp & Co. are trying to change it to where the max of eight designated-for-return transactions will be applicable only to the regular season. Additionally, these aforementioned transactions, via the Lions’ rule proposal, would be unlimited during the postseason. 

Specifically, this rule proposal reads as follows:

“During each season a club will be permitted to return eight players during the regular season and an unlimited number of players during the postseason from either the Reserve/Injured or Reserve/Non-Football Injury/Illness List to its 53-player Active/Inactive List, or from Practice Squad; Injured to the Practice Squad.” 

4.) Make the trade deadline the Tuesday after Week 10.

The Lions, along with the Browns, the Jets, the Eagles, the 49ers and the Commanders, are asking the league to push the deadline back from Week 8 to Week 10. 

At the 2023 trade deadline, Detroit remained relatively quiet, making a lone deal: trading for wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.

As for the logic behind the rule proposal, it goes as follows: 

“Accounts for 2021 change to 17-game season. Provides clubs with more roster options, specifically as it relates to player injuries. More closely aligns the NFL trade deadline with the other major U.S. sports leagues. Provides the league with a better opportunity to put its best product on the field for the stretch run of the regular season and into the postseason.”

Along with all of the above rule proposals, it is worth pointing out that the NFL's competition committee has proposed a rule amendment that would have benefited the Lions this past season. 

The proposed rule change reads as follows: 

“By Competition Committee; amends Rule 15, Section 3, Article 9, to allow a replay review when there is clear and obvious visual evidence that the game clock expired before any snap.”

If such a rule had been in place in 2023, it would've allowed Dan Campbell to review the controversial play that ended the third quarter of Detroit's Week 4 contest with Green Bay. On that play, Packers signal-caller Jordan Love heaved a 44-yard pass to Jayden Reed, although the game clock had already clearly hit 0:00 by the time the ball was snapped.

If Detroit's above rule proposal is passed, such a play will be reviewed and negated in future instances. 

Despite the controversy, the Lions ended up holding on for the 34-20 win in the Thursday Night Football tilt.

For a rundown of all the NFL's rule proposals, click here.