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Why NFL competition committee is fine with rules governing reporting of eligible receivers
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- Why NFL competition committee is fine with rules governing reporting of eligible receivers
The Detroit Lions lost their chance to host the NFC title game amid confusion over the reporting of an eligible receiver , but NFL competition committee chairman Rich McKay said Thursday there's been no discussion about modifying those rules this offseason.
"We really didn't discuss reporting and the procedures for it (at any of our meetings)," McKay said in a conference call. "I think that we know what those procedures are."
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The Lions lost a Week 17 game to the Dallas Cowboys , 20-19 , after Jared Goff 's go-ahead two-point conversion pass to left tackle Taylor Decker was nullified by in an illegal touching penalty.
Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker catches a 2-point conversion that was overturned by a penalty late in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, Dec. 30, 2023.
Referee Brad Allen mistakenly announced swing tackle Dan Skipper as the eligible receiver on the play, after Skipper ran in from the sideline while making a hand gesture near his body. Skipper said he was signaling in the Lions' personnel package.
Linemen often swipe down on their jerseys as part of the reporting process as eligible.
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The Lions finished the regular season 12-5 and in a three-way tie for best record in the NFC, but lost the tie-breaker to the San Francisco 49ers and were the two seed in the playoffs.
The top-seeded 49ers beat the Lions in the NFC championship game at Levi's Stadium.
"I watched the play you're referring to in the moment on TV and then heard about it that week, but I can't tell you that I'm fully versed on what Detroit's position was and the officiated part, what the position was on how it happened from a reporting standpoint," McKay said. "But we did not, that was not something that got discussed."
Lions coach Dan Campbell talks to referee Brad Allen regarding offensive tackle Taylor Decker's 2-point conversion catch being called illegal touching during the second half of the Lions' 20-19 loss to the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023.
The Lions did submit four proposals for consideration at the NFL's annual spring meeting next week in Orlando, where team executives will meet to discuss new playing rules and bylaws.
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Among the proposals, the Lions are one of six teams seeking to move the trade deadline back two weeks to the Tuesday after Week 10 games, along with the 49ers, Cleveland Browns , New York Jets , Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders .
The Pittsburgh Steelers have submitted a separate proposal to move the trade deadline back one week to the Tuesday after Week 9 games.
Currently, the trade deadline is the Tuesday after Week 8 of the regular season.
"Historically, the trade deadline has been very early in our league, earlier than others," McKay said. "And it was that way always from a fear of we want our league to be the most competitive league top to bottom, week to week of any league there is. We think from a fan engagement standpoint, the fact that every fan wakes up in every city, all the way through the whole season, believing their team has a chance and believing their team's all in to win, is a great thing.
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"We then moved it back and experimented with it and then moved it even further and found that it actually served us well. It created some trades, it's worked pretty well for us."
Detroit Lions owner Sheila Hamp talks with players' families after a training camp practice at team headquarters in Allen Park on Friday, July 28, 2023.
In 2012, the NFL moved the trade deadline back two weeks from Week 6 to Week 8. The change has led to more active in-season trading, and McKay said he's interested to hear the discussion on both proposals this week.
He declined to share the competition committee's stance on the proposals.
"I would tell you that there was a lot of discussion of it, a lot of discussion about it in the general manager's advisory committee," McKay said. "Some very strongly in favor, some not, and I will be interested in seeing the discussion. But that has always been the concern, that if you take it too late then all of a sudden the teams making the trade have different reasons for the trade, one is to win this year, one is to win next year, which that's fine, but when that win-next-year ends up with a team that's not competitive, that was always our fear. That has not happened with moving it to Week 8, I can assure you of that."
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The Lions also have submitted proposals to allow teams to retain their third challenge if one of their first two challenges is successful — currently, teams get a third challenge only if their first two challenges are successful; to give teams an unlimited number of designated-for-return transactions in the postseason; and to eliminate the rule a player must spend at least one day on the active roster following roster cuts to be eligible to return from injured reserve.
Owners also will vote on radically changing the kickoff and banning hip-drop tackles next week.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL's reporting receiver procedures not discussed by league in spring
