“And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids!”
That’s may be what several NFL head coaches and front office teams are saying to the NFLPA after a rule change was pulled out from underneath them like the mask of a villain in a Scooby-Doo cartoon, but that likely doesn’t pertain to Mike McCarthy and Will McClay.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is reporting that the NFLPA has reversed course and has nixed the ability of teams to elevate an emergency third QB from their practice squad an unlimited amount of times during the regular season, a new wrinkle that was to be added for this season.
Important note as teams construct their initial 53-man rosters: NFL teams were informed that the NFLPA vetoed the revised Emergency 3rd Quarterback rule that would have allowed teams to elevate a bona fide QB from the practice squad an unlimited number of times. So, the rule reverted to the 2023 version, which says the emergency third QB must be on the 53-man roster, not an elevation.
Teams will have to use one of each players three allowed elevations for the season and then the QB must join the main roster. Dallas is unique here as the Cowboys have an interesting dynamic at quarterback behind starter Dak Prescott.
The club has a steady, capable presence in long-time Prescott support man Cooper Rush, who has been proven capable of winning games in Prescott’s absence. They also have a young, unproven guy in Trey Lance they hope could be a future star but currently isn’t ready to take on a more serious role.
Spots on the 53-man roster are precious commodities, and it doesn’t behoove a team to keep three quarterbacks on the depth chart if they don’t have to, especially to start a season. A few years ago, Dallas released Rush during final cuts and rolled into the regular season with only Prescott on the roster. Rush and the team had an agreement; as a vested veteran he wasn’t subject to a waiver claim and agreed to rejoin the Cowboys practice squad.
There, he was elevated each of the first three weeks of the season as teams are allowed to do twice a week with a maximum of three elevations per player.
Because of Lance’s guaranteed bonus money ($4.25 million) and upside, he’s going to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster. But that doesn’t mean that he’s necessarily the best option to back up Prescott, at least not right now.
So it’s very feasible the Cowboys release Rush, get the extra room on their 53-man roster to keep another player they are concerned wouldn’t make it to the practice squad. Rush goes on the squad, but he’s elevated for the first three weeks of the season and is Prescott’s backup.
Lance could be the emergency third QB, but inactive on game days, but because the Cowboys are going to have him on the main roster regardless, they can operate separate from this rule.