The Philadelphia Eagles won their second championship last season, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The run to the title didn’t seem like the Eagles had much adversity, winning 16 of their final 17 games before celebrating in New Orleans. But there are some obstacles the Eagles could have gone through that made things more difficult.
One of them is the NFL’s overtime rules. The current rules were adopted in 2017 which shortened the extra period from 10 to 15 minutes to improve player safety. But a game can end without both teams having a possession if the team scores a touchdown. While the rule was adapted in 2022 to guarantee both teams a possession, the Eagles want to see that changed with their latest rule proposal.
Eagles Want to Change NFL’s Overtime Rules
The Eagles are proposing a change to the NFL’s overtime rules during the annual meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. from March 30 to April 2. According to PHLY’s Zach Berman, the proposal asks for the league to align the postseason and regular season overtime rules “by granting both teams an opportunity to possess the ball regardless of the outcome of the first possession, subject to a 15-minute overtime period in the regular season.”
The proposal faces several hurdles. The NFL’s previous change to the overtime rules emphasized player safety. Playing an extra five minutes would increase the risk of injury and could become more of a factor if the league adopts an 18-game schedule in the coming years. The Eagles would also have to get 75% approval (24 of the 32 owners) to adopt the proposal.
But the Eagles do have an argument to make the change. The rule change would make ties less likely during regular season games which could help eliminate the awkward math that goes into playoff seeding. It would also eliminate coaches' strategy to dominate the extra period by holding onto the football with a 10-minute drive, which effectively determines the game with a coin toss.
There’s also a case to make things easier. San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was bitten by the difference in overtime rules when he chose to take the ball after winning the coin toss in Super Bowl LVIII. Instead of deferring the ball, letting the Chiefs opening drive play out, and knowing what the Niners needed on their guaranteed drive, they took the ball, kicked a field goal, and allowed Kansas City to drive for a walk-off touchdown.
Shanahan denied that he didn’t know the overtime rules but multiple players admitted they did not know the playoff overtime rules, creating a confusing situation for everyone involved.
It’s a change that wouldn’t have affected the Eagles’ march to the Super Bowl but could be something they run into down the road. If it is made, fans could see more decisive winners in the regular season and less confusion as the Eagles look to defend their title next season.
