The NFL and the NFL Players Association have reached agreement on a later trade deadline and an injured reserve exception.
Beginning with the 2012 season, the official trade deadline will be moved from the Tuesday following Week 6 of the regular season to Week 8.
Teams will also now be allowed to bring one player back to the active roster from injured reserve during the regular season, with some restrictions.
Since the new IR rule is being adopted after the 75-man roster cuts, for the 2012 season only, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to a transition process that allows teams to activate one player back to the 53-man roster who has been put on IR since the start of training camp.
However, the player must be reactivated no later than 9 p.m. ET on Friday.
Going forward, a team who wishes to bring a player back that player must be "designated for return" at the same time they are put on IR after the 53-man roster cut.
"Language being finalized, but there is an agreement between NFL & NFLPA on changes to IR and trade deadline," a union spokesperson wrote on Twitter.
Also, starting next year, if a player signs or reports after training camp starts, that player can practice on the first day after he passes his physical. They will not have to wait until the third day.
The NFL's competition committee approved the changes to the IR rules and the trade deadline at the NFL Annual Meeting in Ma, but as of Aug. 22, the sides had yet to agree to enact the rules for this season.
Follow Albert Breer on Twitter @AlbertBreer.
