The NFL announced on Wednesday it had sent two team-proposed rules to clubs for consideration ahead of the Annual League Meeting, which takes place from March 29 to April 1 in Phoenix.
One of the proposals, introduced by the Cleveland Browns, is to allow draft selections to be traded up to five seasons in the future.
Teams are currently allowed to send draft picks up to three years in advance. The rationale provided for the change is that extending the range of available compensation by another two years would allow greater roster-building flexibility.
The Pittsburgh Steelers proposed the other rule, which, if passed, will make permanent a change implemented during the 2025 season that allowed teams to have one video or phone call (for no longer than an hour) with up to five prospective unrestricted free agents during the two-day negotiation window that precedes the start of the new league year. Teams would also be permitted to make travel arrangements with those players upon agreeing to terms.
Previously, contact was only permitted between teams and certified agents of free agents — or between a front office and a free agent not represented by a certified agent. An agent must still be a participant on the one allowed call with any represented players during the negotiation window, should teams pass Pittsburgh’s proposed rule.
Pittsburgh’s submitted reasoning for making the rule permanent is it is “competitively fairer.”
As was expected, there was no proposal to ban the so-called “tush push,” as there had been last year. Notably, there are no club playing rule or bylaw proposals included in the league’s announcement.
Competition committee proposals are expected to be circulated next week, the league announced.