Trade Deadline, Injured Reserve Rules Changes Approved

Per a press release on Thursday morning, the NFL Management Council and NFL Players Association have agreed to adopt 2012 Bylaw Proposals No. 2 and No. 6A, changing (moving back) the NFL Trade Deadline and modifying the Injured Reserve rules to include one exemption, allowing one player to be removed from the list during the season. Both of these changes are pretty interesting, actually, and will take effect immediately.

Bylaw proposal No. 2 moves the trading deadline from Tuesday, October 16 - the Tuesday after Week 6 of the regular season - to Tuesday, October 30, the Tuesday after Week 8. Bylaw proposal No. 6A permits clubs to re-activate one player from Reserve/Injured during the 2012 season, subject to certain restrictions.

According to the NFL and NFLPA, since this rule is being adopted after the cutdown to 75 players, for the 2012 season only, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to a transition procedure that permits clubs to return to their 53-player active list one player placed on Reserve/Injured since the start of preseason training camp. This selection of that player must be made no later than 9:00 p.m. ET tomorrow, Friday, August 31.

Following the cutdown to 53 players, the new Reserve/Injured rule will work as follows (quoted from the press release):

1. Only players with a "major injury" who are placed on Reserve/Injured after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on Tuesday, September 4, or thereafter during the season, will be eligible to be reactivated at a later time.

2. A "major injury" is defined as an injury that renders the player unable to practice or play football for at least six weeks (42 calendar days) from the date of injury.

3. Each team may reactivate only one player placed on Reserve/Injured after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on Tuesday, September 4. That player must be "designated for return" at the time the club places him on Reserve/Injured, and such designation shall appear on that day's Personnel Notice.

4. Such player is eligible to return to practice if he has been on Reserve/Injured for at least six weeks from the date he is placed on Reserve. He is eligible to return to the Active List if he has been on Reserve/Injured for at least eight weeks from the date he is placed on Reserve.

Anyway, an interesting rule, though it seems fairly similar to the PUP rules, and something that might be used for a player like James Carpenter. Thoughts?