Call it the Brock Purdy rule.
San Francisco fans saw a nightmare scenario unfold in last season's NFC championship game, when 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy injured his elbow on the first drive of the game, leading to Josh Johnson playing — before also getting hurt — in what became a 31-7 loss to the Eagles.
Apparently, the in-game QB conundrum was the NFL's worst nightmare, too, and the league is looking to avoid it in the future.
During the NFL's spring meetings, owners approved a rule change to allow a third quarterback to dress on game days, which won't count toward the team's active roster limit. That means teams may not have to burn an active roster spot on a third quarterback on gamedays, which may help alleviate some other roster construction problems for the league.
The league call is a change for the "integrity of the game" — but really, it may be for the entertainment for the masses.
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Here's what to know about the league's new rule:
NFL emergency QB rule change
The quarterback will only be allowed to enter the game if the quarterbacks in front of him are injured and cannot played. If the team dictates that the two quarterbacks ahead of the emergency QB can play, then the emergency QB will not be permitted back on the field.
In a nutshell:
- Teams who are carrying two quarterbacks on their active roster on game day may carry a third, emergency quarterback (from the 53-man roster) who doesnotcount against the team's game dayroster;
- The emergency QB will not be allowed into the game unless the two active quarterbacks are injured or disqualified from the game;
- The emergency quarterback must be removed from the game if either quarterback is medically cleared to return to play;
- Teams thatchoose to have three quarterbacks on their active roster on game day may not utilize an emergency quarterback.
From the NFL's bylaw for all the technical terminology:
One hour and 30 minutes prior to kickoff, each club is required to establish its Active List for the game by notifying the Referee of the players on its Inactive List for that game.
Each club may also designate one emergency third quarterback from its 53- player Active/Inactive List (i.e., elevated players are not eligible for designation) who will be eligible to be activated during the game, if the club’s first two quarterbacks on its game day Active List are not able to participate in the game due to injury or disqualification (activation cannot be a result of a head coach’s in-game decision to remove a player from the game due to performance or conduct). If either of the injured quarterbacks is cleared by the medical staff to return to play, the emergency third quarterback must be removed from the game and is not permitted to continue to play quarterback or any other position, but is eligible to return to the game to play quarterback if another emergency third quarterback situation arises.
A club is not eligible to use these procedures if it carries three quarterbacks on its game day Active List [47- or 48-players in 2023]. …
Effect:Permits each club to designate an emergency quarterback who can be activated from its Inactive List if the two quarterbacks on the club’s Active List are injured or disqualified and unable to participate in the game.
Some teams already roster three quarterbacks, and as the rule says, they are not eligible to use an emergency quarterback if it has three active QBs on game day, meaning they cannot carry an emergency fourth quarterback.
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Still, there are questions about the implementation of the rule. While it's fair for the NFL to want as many qualified passers able to play on game day as possible, there are very fewlegitimatelyqualified passers when the depth chart gets thin on the back end; Just consider how many teams have backup QBs that may be better suited for USFL or XFL play than they are NFL.
Games are typically lopsided when backups enter the game in a pinch, and even more so if a third-stringer gets snaps. Simply put: What does an emergency quarterback add in an emergency situation?
Also, roster construction and management comes into play, for both the positive and negative sides. Players who may be on the outside looking in at playing or getting listed as active on game day have a very slim chance to see the field.
On the other hand, it's an incorporation of a rule that seems a bit unnecessary — nothing is preventing teams from carrying three quarterbacks on game day at the expense of another roster spot.
Either way, the NFL is making sure that no team is stuck with a running back throwing passes in a doomsday scenario. The 49ers just breathed a sigh of relief.
