Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NFL Makes Steelers Rule Change Permanent

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Mar 31, 2026 2:25 PM ET

A rule change that the Pittsburgh Steelers originally put forward last offseason has officially been made permanent by the NFL.

At the annual league meetings, which are being held in Arizona this year, NFL owners voted to make Pittsburgh's proposal that allows teams to hold one call with up to five unrestricted free agents during the legal tampering period permanent, as noted by CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.

The rule was in a trial period for this past legal tampering period, which took place earlier in March, after it received enough votes to pass at the 2025 league meetings.

Now, though, the rule will remain in place for the foreseeable future, offering a tangible change to how organizations go through the free agency process, with the same going for players and their representation.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Previous Set of Rules

Before the Steelers both proposed the rule change and saw it be put into motion, free agency had quite a different look to it.

Under the prior rules, teams had been barred from talking directly to free agents themselves throughout the legal tampering period. Instead, they had to speak to the agents of said players.

In addition, organizations could not arrange travel plans for any player(s) with whom they came to terms with on a new contract during the legal tampering period until the new league year had officially begun.

As a result of the rule having been in a one-year trial period and now being the new norm around the league, though, those standards have gone out the window.

Those aforementioned five calls that teams are allowed to hold with players they are targeting can be either over the phone or via video. Travel plans can also be made by the team now upon the involved parties finding common ground on a deal during the legal tampering period, but a visit to the organization's facility still is not allowed until the new league year kicks off.

Upon the conclusion of a call with a player, teams are formally required to report the date, start time, end time, type of call, who the player is, the agent's name and the members of the franchise who attended it to the NFL's Player Personnel Department.

The rule makes for a more seamless and personal process throughout the early stages of free agency in the tampering period, and clearly the trial period went well enough for it to become a constant in the NFL.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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