Players can now wear No. 0, other rules announced at NFL annual meeting

Mar 29, 2023 - 5:10 PM

There is currently no NFL football being played, but as fans we know that the offseason can be just as fun and lively, sometimes even more so. We’re moving along through free agency, we have the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft in a few weeks and this week, it’s time for the annual NFL owners meeting.

The meeting occurs every year and is a time for team’s to vote on proposed rule changes and bylaws that have the possibility of improving the game. This year, there were quite a few new items approved, and I will share a few of the important changes followed by my personal opinion on them. Let’s begin.

• NFL players can now wear No. 0 as a jersey number. Kickers can wear jersey numbers 0-49 and 90-99.

It’s a change that shouldn’t really surprise anyone, as the NCAA moved to allow college football athletes to wear No. 0 starting with the 2020 season. Additionally, it gives teams more flexibility to have an extra number during preseason games where rosters are at their largest. It’ll be interesting to see which or if any Falcons’ wear No. 0 in 2023. It’s already been announced that former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley will wear No. 0 for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

• One Preseason Cutdown Date

This is arguably the best change made this year. Preseason has been sloppy in the past and the cutdowns have been somewhat unfair to rookies and bubble players trying to make rosters. Now there will be only one cutdown date during the preseason, which will occur on August 29th.

In all, there were 15 rules changed but the two above are the most notable. You can read about the others, such as tripping penalty being upgraded to a personal foul, play clock on instant replay being fixed, and others by clicking here.