NFL Tweaks Injured Reserve Rule

The tweak can help teams who get hit hard by injury in training camp.

Dec 21, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; The NFL shield logo on the field at SoFi Stadium. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL unveiled an important rule change governing the injured reserve list that should make the New York Giants’ roster decisions at the cutdown date a little easier.

According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the league sent a memo to its 32 clubs advising that teams can now place two players on injured reserve during the cutdown date who can later be designated for return during the season.

The previous rule stated that any player who landed on injured reserve during the summer was not eligible to return during the ensuing season.

Meanwhile if a team wanted to bring back a player from injured reserve during the season, it would have to carry the player on the initial 53-man roster for a day and then move the player to IR.

This new tweak should allow teams to carry two players whom they don’t want to expose to waivers but would have had to in the past because of the old rule.

Also, teams can designate up to eight players placed on IR to return during the regular season, including the same player up to twice in one season. Teams that do not reach the eight-man limit can then be eligible to bring back two additional players off IR if the team qualifies for the playoffs. 

---

• Follow and like us on Facebook.
• Submit your questions for our mailbag.
• Follow Patricia Traina on Instagram.
• Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.