The NFL's competition committee has voted unanimously (8-0) to recommend that NFL owners adopt a rule allowing coach-to-headset communication for the defense, a league source familiar with the situation has told Newsday. The proposed rule, which narrowly was defeated last year, is expected to pass when the owners meet in West Palm Beach March 30-April 2.
The coach-to-headset system will eliminate the need for defensive coaches to signal in plays, thus preventing teams from stealing signals. The Patriots were caught stealing signals in a Week 1 game against the Jets last season, setting off the Spygate scandal that continues to reverberate throughout the league.
The rule nearly passed last year, but concerns from a handful of clubs about the need to place the headset in more than one defensive player's helmet - due to frequent player substitutions - scuttled the idea. But because of the Spygate issue, the rule will almost certainly pass this time.
We'll be back with a few other rules change proposals in a bit.