Chiefs overtime rule proposal was tabled at a league meeting

Jay Biggerstaff | USA TODAY Sports

Rules are rules, and this one, in particular, is staying that way.

At the NFL’s spring league meeting in Florida on Wednesday, a proposal to change the overtime rules was brought about by the Kansas City Chiefs, but ultimately denied.

Thinking back to the Chiefs’ loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game, fans will remember that the Patriots won the coin toss, elected to receive the ball, went down the field to score a touchdown and solidified their trip to Super Bowl LIII. The Kansas City offense did not get a chance to come out on the field at all in overtime.

There were two sides to the argument at Wednesday’s meeting. Critics of the overtime rule said that both teams should have a chance to score in overtime, especially in a game of this caliber. But supporters of the rule stated that the Chiefs would have had a chance to get the ball had they forced the Patriots into either a punt or a field goal attempt and that they had multiple opportunities to do just that.

There wasn’t quite enough support to bring the proposal to a vote at the meeting. So, for the time being, and in the wise words of Bill Belichick, “It is what it is.”

Follow Megan on Twitter: @carnahanmegan