Report: Owners to vote on IR increase, extension with EA Sports

NFL team owners are set to vote May 28 on proposed rule changes for the 2020 campaign, and they will also discuss potential alterations regarding off-field matters.

Owners will vote on a proposal that would increase the number of players - from two to three - teams can designate for a return off injured reserve and make players who are placed on IR prior to final cutdowns eligible to be activated, MMQB's Albert Breer reports.

Under the new rule, teams would no longer need to carry players onto their 53-man rosters to make them eligible to return from injured reserve, Breer adds. That would ensure there are no longer situations in which veterans are cut before Week 1 so players can be placed on IR.

Teams will also vote to ratify a five-year extension of their video game licensing agreement with EA Sports, according to Breer. The deal would run through 2026 and include the creation of game titles until Madden NFL 27.

A number of proposed rule changes will be voted on next week, including the addition of a fourth-and-15 offensive play from the kicking team's 25-yard line as an alternative to onside kicks. The alteration, suggested by the Philadelphia Eagles, is reportedly gaining league-wide support.