Over the weekend, a former member of the Competition Committee floated the notion that pro football could be made safer by widening the field.
Key word: Former.
The current members of the Competition Committee have not placed the proposal on their agenda for 2013, according to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. Which means that possibility of a wider field as suggested by former NFL G.M. Bill Polian is far from a probability.
That said, the NFL’s desire to make the game safer means that a wide range of options could be explored. While widening the field may or may not reduce high-impact hits, it would impose a practical weight limit on the game because a premium would be placed on players who can move laterally.
Still, if it happens, it won’t be happening any time soon.
Unless the owners decide to take matters into their own hands at the league meetings in March.