Eagles Want OT Tweaks, Chiefs Want Less-Restrictive Jersey Numbers

The NFL's potential 2021 rule changes are on the docket.

PHILADELPHIA - It's NFL draft month.

The calendar has flipped to April, which means the first-round of the 2021 NFL Draft will begin in just four weeks, on April 29, and run through May 1.

That means it is a big month for mock drafts.

It is also a month for some potential rule changes.

The NFL is already trending toward the college game with its offensive schemes so why not adopt the less-restrictive jersey numbers?

A groundbreaking proposal [at least a moderate amount of sarcasm intended] by the Kansas City Chiefs would allow single-digit numbers to be worn by more players than just quarterbacks, kickers, and punters. and will be on the docket for the league's meetings later this month.

It's extremely unlikely to pass, however.

The NFL's competition committee endorsed four potential rule changes and a total of six tweaks for the 2021 season, including a common-sense proposal that would expand the amount of information that replay officials could provide to on-field officiating crews during games.

The presumptive change would fall short of the so-called sky judge eighth official offered by the Baltimore Ravens but could result in a crisper and cleaner game without as much replay. The negative to that would be a lack of transparency.

Any NFL team can propose a new rule, and the league sent out a list of 13 rule or bylaw change proposals. All require votes from at least 24 owners (75 percent) for approval.

If history is a guide, it's very rare for a proposal to pass without a competition committee endorsement.

The other proposals being encouraged by the competition committee are:

• An elimination of overtime in preseason games.

• Allowing a maximum of nine players in the "setup zone," the 15-yard area behind their restraining line when setting up for a kickoff return.

• A significant restriction on blocking below the waist beyond five yards of the line of scrimmage and two yards outside of the offensive tackle.

• Prohibiting playoff teams from signing players who had been cut by teams whose seasons were complete.

• Requiring teams to report tryouts and visits to the league office throughout the year.

Team proposals not endorsed and therefore unlikely to pass include two proposals by the Eagles and the Chiefs' jersey proposal.

The Eagles and Ravens teamed on tweaks to overtime, with one idea requiring the winner of the coin toss to choose one of two options: Where to spot the ball or which team will get the first possession. The second one would institute true sudden death.

The Ravens also proposed the so-called sky judge while the Los Angeles Rams advocated imposing a loss of down if a "second forward pass from behind the line and for a pass thrown after the ball returns behind the line."

The request from the Chiefs to relax the uniform numbers would enable defensive backs, linebackers, running backs, fullbacks, tight ends, H-backs, and wide receivers to wear numbers in the single digits.

DBs and LBs could wear any number from 1 to 49, while RBs, TEs, and WRS could all wear 1 to 49 or 80 to 89.

Quarterbacks, punters, and kickers would still be required to wear numbers 1 to 19, linemen would still wear 50 to 79, and defensive linemen and linebackers could also wear 90 to 99.

Compelling stuff.

John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Thursday on The Middle with Eytan Shander, Harry Mayes, former Eagles OT Barrett Brooks streaming live on both PhillyVoice.com and SportsMap Radio. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s EagleMaven. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.