NFL Announces OT Rule Change Proposals from Eagles, Colts, Titans

The NFL Football Operations Department announced Wednesday two rule-change proposals from teams ahead of the 2022 season. Both are related to the league's overtime rules.

The Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles issued a joint proposal seeking to guarantee possession for both teams in OT, while the Tennessee Titans had a similar idea with a slight twist:

Current overtime rules allow the team that wins the coin toss to end the game with a touchdown.

The format faced renewed scrutiny after the Kansas City Chiefs eliminated the Buffalo Bills from the playoffs with a TD on the first possession of overtime after a thrilling AFC Divisional Round game that saw 25 points scored in the final two minutes of regulation.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes drove his offense down for the winning score, while Bills counterpart Josh Allen never got a chance to touch the ball in OT.

"We should never let a football game be determined by a coin. I think that's the craziest rule in sports," Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins told reporters after the loss. "This ain't Vegas. We're not at a casino table."

The reality is the NFL has become such an offense-dominated league that it's hard to justify not giving both quarterbacks a chance in overtime.

Coming up with a perfect solution is difficult, though. The Titans' plan is unique, but it still leaves the potential for a team to lose the coin toss and never touch the ball in overtime.

Simply guaranteeing possession doesn't come without pitfalls either.

There's still a massive burden on the shoulders of the team that loses the toss because the team that wins it would likely defer possession. Then the receiving team will be forced into the tough decision of whether to go for a two-point conversion even if it scores a touchdown, knowing the opponent could win with an extra point if it misses.

In turn, at least part of the conversation should focus around eliminating the coin toss as the way to award overtime possession. Perhaps something like a kicking competition—kickers attempt field goals from increasing distances until a winner is determined—could replace the luck factor with a skill.

At least in that scenario there's a reason one of the teams is placed in the more difficult position to start overtime rather than the flip of a coin.