NFL plans to loosen injured reserve rules

Jacksonville Jaguars v Detroit Lions

The NFL continues to help teams by considering major changes to how roster rules work.

Owners meet in Chicago next Monday and one of the notable rule changes pertains to injured reserve.

According to Judy Battista of NFL Network, the league will consider letting two players return from injured reserve as opposed to one:

This is a big step in the right direction for the NFL. Injuries are too common in today’s game and the strict rules can hurt a team’s ability to field a competitive roster when guys go down, hence the original injured reserve with a designation to return established in recent years.

As Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith pointed out, this could lead to even more roster rule alterations in the near future:

The NFL seems to be gradually moving in the direction of loosening restrictions on rosters, and it wouldn’t be surprising if in the next few years we see other moves, such as an expansion of the 53-player regular-season roster or the 46-player game day roster. Changing injured reserve rules is a baby step, but it’s a step in that direction.

The NFL needs these sorts of changes to retain the competitive balance across the league. Injuries are far too frequent and any flexibility the league can give teams means a more competitive season and better experience for fans.

Expect this change to go through early next week.

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