NFL team owners, executives, head coaches, and various league personnel will gather in Palm Beach, Florida in the coming days for the Annual League Meetings at The Breakers Hotel. It will be the place where all league matters related to the 2025 season will be debated and decided.
Below are five aspects to be cautious about:
1. Club proposals, playing rules, bylaws & resolutions
At the league meetings, teams will review suggested changes to playing rules, bylaws, and resolutions put forward by teams and the NFL’s Competition Committee. To implement any rule change for the 2025 season, it requires a favorable vote from 75 percent of the ownership groups (24).
Detroit put forward the subsequent playing rule proposal along with two bylaw proposals they wish to implement:
Remove the automatic first down element as a punishment for defensive holding and illegal contact. (Currently, it results in a five-yard penalty along with an automatic first down for such violations.)
Revise the existing playoff seeding system to enable Wild Card teams to be ranked above division champions if their regular-season record is superior.
Exclude from the 90-player maximum any player placed on Reserve/Injured on or before the roster reduction to 53 players, unless that player is designated for return.
Additional proposals under consideration are banning the ‘tush push’ play (introduced by Green Bay) and syncing regular-season overtime regulations with postseason rules to ensure each team has an opportunity to possess the ball (proposed by Philadelphia). You can find the complete list of all rule proposals, bylaws, and resolutions here.
2. Brad Holmes interview
The general manager of Detroit plans to meet with local reporters who are heading to Florida to cover the event. This will be our first opportunity to hear from Holmes since free agency began, and it’s typically a highly informative session where he discusses his signings and outlines his strategy for free agency.
Holmes looked beyond the organization to sign several top free agents — with cornerback D.J. Reed being the most notable — while also dedicating significant resources to re-sign many of his own players. Clearly, that’s an indication he believed last year’s lineup was capable of winning the championship if it hadn’t been ravaged by injuries. What will he mention regarding his roster composition? We could also incorporate some discussions about the NFL Draft as well.
3. Breakfast with Dan Campbell
The head coaches conduct one-hour breakfast meetings with the media featuring AFC coaches on Monday and NFC coaches on Tuesday. It’s a chance to sit with Dan Campbell and thoroughly explore the offseason to date.
We usually talk about every free agent thoroughly. The progress of a coaching staff that experienced significant changes this offseason will also be a topic of discussion.
The AFC coaches’ breakfast can also provide valuable information. What will the Lions gain from their new offensive coordinator John Morton? That’s a great question for Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who appointed Morton as his passing game coordinator last year. What are the Lions acquiring through certain free-agent signings from AFC teams?
4. Rod Wood interview
The commercial aspect of football is a significant element that can occasionally be overshadowed by the action on the field.
The fresh uniform designs revealed last offseason were a significant topic of discussion around this time last year. What events are significant this offseason? Discussions with Lions team president Rod Wood this year might cover international markets, scheduling, enhancements to the Meijer Performance Center and Ford Field, along with the team’s views on various proposed rule changes.
5. Twentyman in the Huddle podcast
The idea is to arrange for Campbell, Holmes, and Wood to meet with me in Florida.
It will serve as a solid summary of the previous few months of the offseason, covering free agency and providing some draft insights. We’ll explore the business narratives occurring behind the scenes and, with any luck, enjoy ourselves in the process as well.
This is consistently among my favorite podcasts to participate in, as I believe it’s one of the most enlightening for fans to listen to the insights from the team president, general manager, and head coach.