At league meetings, roster cutdowns, Combine and Rooney Rule get NFL’s attention

As the NFL’s league meetings continue in Atlanta, we have a rundown of some league news of interest to Kansas City Chiefs fans.

Roster cutdown numbers, dates finalized for 2022

According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, league owners have approved a continuation of the roster cutdown schedule that was first tried in 2021.

Teams will have to have their rosters down to 85 players on the Tuesday following the first weekend of preseason games (August 16), 80 players on the Tuesday following the second weekend (August 23) and 53 players by the Tuesday following the final weekend (August 30) — which will be five days after the Chiefs play their final exhibition game against the Green Bay Packers on August 25. Cuts must be submitted to the league office by 3 p.m. Arrowhead Time on those three Tuesdays.

The claiming deadline for all players waived on final cutdown day will be 11 a.m. Arrowhead Time on August 31. After that, teams may begin assembling their practice squads for the coming season.

Fowler also reports that at least for 2022, the 16-player practice squads that were instituted during the coronavirus pandemic are likely to continue.

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the league and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) that was signed in the spring of 2020, practice squads were already scheduled to increase to 14 players in 2022. But the 16-player taxi squads have become popular with teams — and the NFLPA has no issue with another 64 of its members getting paychecks in the coming season.

NFL Combine to stay in Indianapolis for 2023 and 2024

Despite rumors that the NFL Combine would — like the NFL Draft — move from city to city, the next two iterations of the Combine will remain in Indianapolis, per a release from NFL Communications.

At the NFL Spring League Meeting today in Atlanta, Indianapolis was awarded the 2023 and 2024 NFL Combine, continuing the city’s proven track record of hosting and growing the marquee event since 1987.

This was the first time the NFL put the Combine out for bid, a process similar to the one for other League events including Super Bowl and NFL Draft. The official bid process for Combine started in December 2021, with proposals due in April 2022.

“After close review by our internal team, the Fan Engagement & Major Events Advisory Committee, and the National Invitational Camp staff, Indianapolis remains the best city to host and grow the NFL Combine in 2023 and 2024,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President of Club Business & League Events. “Indy’s vision brings together its long legacy of successfully hosting the Combine and executing the evaluation process, with an exciting focus on innovating and further growing the event from a fan and media perspective.”

The Rooney Rule has been expanded

According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, the longtime rule requiring teams to interview external minority candidates for head coaching positions has been expanded to include vacancies for quarterback coaches.

This is likely seen as another way for the league to increase the number of minority candidates who are available for head coaching jobs. Also, owners approved a measure to slow down the head coaching interview process.