The NFL and NFL Players Association have come to an agreement to change the trade deadline and revise the injured reserve rule, according to a report by Adam Schefter.
While pushing back the trade deadline two weeks from Week 6 to the Tuesday following Week 8 will help all teams in the league, the revisions to the injured reserve rule has the potential to impact a few specific teams in the near future - and the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of them.
With running back Rashard Mendenhall and right guard David DeCastro attempting to return from extended injuries at some point this season, the Steelers may consider using this rule change.
According to the initial reports, teams would be able to remove one player per season from IR as long as the player was placed on reserve after to Sept. 4 and suffered a "major injury." As of this time, it's unclear what defines a major injury or when the player would be eligible to return but it is believed that the midpoint of the season will be the starting point for eligibility.
As of this time, Mendenhall has been removed from the physically unable to perform list but is not expected to play in the first few weeks of the season and DeCastro has yet to be placed on IR. However, that could potentially change over the coming days.
For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh for the latest on the squad.
