This past NFL season saw a number of quarterbacks go down because of injury, and in some cases, their backup also had to sit out with an injury of his own.
A number of teams ended up with three or even four different starters under center at some point in 2022.
This has caused some to call on teams to be able to have three QBs on their active roster to be prepared for such situations.
It looks like the league will at least consider allowing teams to do just that.
The NFL competition committee is expected to have discussions about the third QB rule, which would allow teams to have an emergency QB in uniform (a 47th active player) on gamedays, in case of a worst case scenario situation (like the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game).
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 27, 2023
The New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and Arizona Cardinals were three teams that had four different starting quarterbacks in 2022, but another team that had to do so, the San Francisco 49ers, was the most glaring argument for this proposed rule change.
They lost original starter Trey Lance to a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, then saw former starter Jimmy Garoppolo go down in Week 13 with a foot injury.
Rookie Brock Purdy, the last player chosen in last year’s NFL Draft, took over and did an admirable job, as he allowed the 49ers to finish the regular season with a 10-game winning streak and guided them to the NFC Championship Game.
But once there, he tore the UCL in his throwing elbow, and his backup, Josh Johnson, then suffered a concussion, forcing Purdy to return despite being virtually unable to throw the football.
It is hard to say why there have been so many injuries to quarterbacks lately, but this proposal sounds like a very good idea, as the quarterback position is the most important one in any major team sport.
