NFL Reportedly Plans to Change Football Handling Rules: Latest Details, Reaction

The fallout from Deflategate will reportedly extend beyond just Tom Brady and the New England Patriots as next season approaches.

Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press noted Friday that “A person familiar with the situation tells the Associated Press the NFL plans to change guidelines regarding the way footballs are handled before games.”

Maaddi also pointed out that the source spoke anonymously because “details will be discussed at the owners’ meetings in San Francisco next week.”

This should not come as a surprise considering that under the current rules, the footballs are delivered to the teams and equipment managers can handle them before a game. As Maaddi stated, “quarterbacks can even practice with the footballs during a game week as long as the footballs remain in good enough condition to pass the referee's pregame inspection as a new ball.”

It must be noted that any potential changes with regard to how the footballs are handled wouldn’t even require a vote from the owners, even though the details will be discussed at the owners’ meetings.

It is difficult to envision anyone really opposing this measure considering the negative repercussions Brady and the Patriots face “after independent investigator Ted Wells...found that the Super Bowl champions used illegally under-inflated balls in the AFC title game,” per Maaddi (balls must be between 12.5 and 13.5 psi).

The NFL subsequently levied a four-game suspension on Brady while fining the team $1 million and two draft picks. New England will likely survive those four games (although Brady filed an appeal through the NFL Players Association), but the loss of draft picks has a long-term impact on the franchise.

Some are even questioning Brady’s once ironclad legacy in the aftermath of Deflategate, although ESPN’s Jay Williams believes this will fade in time as long as the Patriots continue to win:

That may be the case, but if this reported rule change occurs, fans can once again focus on the game as opposed to whether the air density inside the Patriots' or any other team's footballs does not conform to league standards.

That is all anyone can ask for at this point.