NFL Reportedly Moves Trade Deadline to Week 8

The NFL has reportedly decided to push back the trade deadline to the eighth week of the season starting in 2012.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news via Twitter.

"

MFL trading deadline pushed back to the Tuesday after the eighth weekend of season.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2012"

The previous rules put an embargo on trades after Week 6. The NFL and the NFL Players Association reached an agreement to make the change, as noted by CBS Sports’ Will Brinson.

Brinson also notes that the two parties changed the procedure for placing players on the injured reserve list. Previously, a player put on IR was out for the entire season, but now, the player could become active after Week 8.

The NFL’s competition committee agreed to the changes in May, but Albert Breer of NFL.com notes that the decision to implement the new rules this season was still up in the air until now.

The NFL and the players association have been discussing these changes over the summer, but the NFLPA rejected a proposal just one week ago, according to ESPN.com.

These changes are not official yet, but George Atallah, an executive for the players association, reported via Twitter that both his organization and the NFL are on board.

"

Language being finalized, but there is an agreement between NFL & NFLPA on changes to IR and trade deadline

— George Atallah (@GeorgeAtallah) August 30, 2012"

These are not major changes, and Brinson quotes Jason La Canfora saying both the NFL and the NFLPA saw the adjustments as mutually beneficial. La Canfora believes there is still a considerable amount of tension between the two sides in the wake of last season’s lockout, and that led to a drawn-out process to get these rules enacted.

Football fans can only hope that the 10-year labor agreement reached last summer will give the NFL and the NFLPA enough time to make nice before a new CBA has to be ironed out.