After a lockout that lasted far too long into 2011 and a seemingly interminable string of labor dust-ups since the new collective bargaining agreement was ratified last August, the NFL and NFLPA have finally agreed on something – and it could be of great benefit to many teams and players.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the league will alter rules regarding injured reserve, and move the trade deadline back from Week 6 to Week 8. The trade deadline could be a major fix for contending teams looking to pick up talent from other teams interested in off-loading contracts or finding new environments for disenchanted superstars (read: Maurice Jones-Drew). But it's the new injured reserve rules that could substantially alter the NFL landscape.
Previously, any player put on IR was lost for the entire season. Now, if a player is hurt and put on injured reserve after Sept. 4, that player may return to the active roster eight weeks after the IR designation, and the player must be on the IR list for at least six weeks. In addition, a player must be "designated for return" at the time of his IR classification, which means that a team must anticipate a player's ability to return midseason. Teams can't just hope their key injured player will recover in time.