NEWSLETTER
Despite the apparent approval of reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, a proposed rule change that would have provided an alternative to the onside kick was not approved in today’s virtual meeting of NFL owners.
In fact, it didn’t even get to an actual vote.
Details from NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero:
There was no official vote on the 4th-and-15 proposal, but they did take a (virtual) show of hands and it did not have the support to pass at this time. A bold idea that would've needed 24 of 32 votes. Expect it to come up again. https://t.co/XRuJBIlEG9
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 28, 2020
Welp, this is the second time in as many years that an onside kick alternative hasn’t received a green light from league owners. Last year, it was the Broncos’ proposal that was shot down.
This year’s proposal proposal was equal parts interesting, intriguing, and bold. As we discussed last week, allowed for a trailing team to go for a 4th-and-15 from its own 25-yard-line. It would have been limited to trailing teams and only used twice in regulation periods. Nevertheless, it was a unique idea. One that had similar iterations in the XFL and AAF, which gave me hope that it could come to the NFL in 2020. Perhaps it still can. Tabling a vote now allows for all parties to re-shape, re-create, and re-work a proposal later in the offseason. So it’s possible we’ll get a re-tooled proposal that could be put to vote before the preseason.
As for rules changes that were given the green light:
Approved 2020 Playing Rules and Bylaws: pic.twitter.com/rChmCB8zUu
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 28, 2020
I hope everyone enjoyed the gamesmanship in the games of keep-away played in last year’s playoffs! Because they’re gone now.
Also, Cordarrelle Patterson’s penalty on punt return coverage is now officially a penalty. Sigh. I stand by what I wrote last year in that good plays shouldn’t be punishable by league bylaws.
