What is the NFL third quarterback rule?
What is the NFL third quarterback rule?
There seems to be a lot of confusion about this, which makes sense, as this is the first year of the current version of the rule, so let's try to explain:
For a third quarterback to enter action in a game-day emergency, he must be on the active 53-man roster. The player can't be on the practice squad.
However, that quarterback does not have to be among the 47 or 48 players declared active for that game. If a club suits up eight offensive linemen, they have to declare only five inactives.
If a club has two quarterbacks injured and/or disqualified in a game, the emergency quarterback can enter play.
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.
This is to prevent a situation such as the 49ers playoff game last year when San Francisco lost both healthy quarterbacks and there was no emergency rule in place.
More teams than not figure to carry three quarterbacks on their rosters in 2023. Teams with one or two quarterbacks with injury histories seem especially likely to.
Last season, teams could have three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. But the third would have had to be among the game-day actives to enter play in an emergency. Now, they don't have to be.
Yes, the NFL had an emergency quarterback rule from 1991 to 2010. It was abolished then because the number of players allowed to be active on game day was increased.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said he supports the new rule.
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Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on social media platforms @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: NFL third quarterback rule explained. What you need to know.
