The NFL balked at making some more radical changes to the rules, but one measure that did pass during the voting at the virtual league meeting was to expand the injured reserve return list.
Owners approved adding one more player eligible to return from injured reserve during the season for each team. Now teams can bring back three players from I.R. instead of the two that were previously allowed.
It’s a rule change that would have come in useful for the 2019 Lions, who were decimated with injuries. Kerryon Johnson and Austin Bryant were the players activated off I.R. during the regular season.
One thing that did not change on the injured reserve front: players who can be recalled cannot go on I.R. until after the final roster cutdown. Last year, Bryant was injured prior to the start of the season but the team had to carry him on the 53-man roster initially until he could go on injured reserve with eligibility to be recalled. That cost another player a roster spot during the final cutdown.