The NFL has approved a new rule that allows teams to designate an emergency quarterback on game day. This rule comes after the San Francisco 49ers ran out of quarterbacks during their loss in the NFC Championship Game last season to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The New Rule
The new rule applies only to quarterbacks on a team’s 53-man roster. Practice squad players are not eligible to be emergency quarterbacks, even if they are elevated for a game. However, the rule allows a team to avoid counting the emergency quarterback as one of its active players on game day. This is a modest incentive for teams that would have otherwise chosen to go into a game with only two available quarterbacks.
The emergency quarterback can be activated during a game if the rest of the team’s quarterbacks are unable to participate due to injury or ejection, but not as a result of a benching. If one of the other quarterbacks is cleared to return to the game, the emergency quarterback must be removed at that time and can return only if there is once again no other option.
Similar Rules Applied by Other Leagues
The XFL and USFL have applied a similar rule this spring. The NFL itself had used this rule from 1991 to 2010. During the 2011 collective bargaining with the NFL Players Association, the sides decided to increase the overall limit of game-day active players rather than limit it to one position.
Benefits of the New Rule
The new rule will provide teams with an additional layer of security, especially during times when injuries or ejections occur during a game. The rule will also give teams more flexibility to manage their rosters on game day and may prevent a team from forfeiting a game if they run out of quarterbacks.
The NFL’s new rule that allows teams to designate an emergency quarterback on game day is a positive step towards improving the league’s overall management of game day rosters. This rule gives teams an additional option to avoid forfeiting a game due to a lack of quarterbacks. The rule also provides teams with more flexibility to manage their rosters in the event of injuries or ejections during games.
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