The NFL and NFL Players Association have failed in their effort to implement changes to the injured reserve rules and to push back the trade deadline, according to league and union sources.
The IR and trade deadline modifications haven't been officially tabled until 2013 yet, but Aug. 27 -- when teams must reduce rosters to 75 players -- serves as an unofficial deadline for a resolution.
The NFL's competition committee approved the changes to the IR rules and the trade deadline in the spring, which were to allow teams to designate one player to come off IR during the season and push the deadline back from Week 6 to Week 8 of the regular season.
According to two club executives, the NFL distributed what was described as a "generic" email to teams on Wednesday explaining that the rules regarding IR and the trade deadline remain as is.
The NFL declined comment on the situation.
Union sources said that the breakdown came because of a proposal to modify the rules around padded practices, which have elicited complaints from coaches.
The sources maintained that the changes to those rules were relatively reasonable, but the feeling inside the NFLPA that accepting them now would be a step backward after the players fought for the regulations during the the most recent collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
The three proposals for changes, according to NFLPA sources, were offered as one package, which is what the union turned down.
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