Now relevant- The NFL's new IR rule

[MightyGiants]

In plain words, the new rule allows teams the ability to place two players on injured reserve at the roster cutdown deadline to return during the season. That has not been the case in the past with the NFL; if a player went on injured reserve before the active 53-man roster is set, he was out for the season.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-injured-rule-coming-play-163518704.html#:~:text=In%20plain%20words%2C%20the%20new,was%20out%20for%20the%20season.

[zephirus]

Honestly, I'm not even sure why IR and the inability to return is still a thing.  The NFL has made some changes over the last few years but the original "issue", if there ever was one, has long since past.

The NFL implemented IR rules and the inability to return before the salary cap era.  It was done as a safe-guard mechanism that would prevent teams that were loaded with talent from stashing "young" talent on the IR as a way to bypass roster limitations.  Back then a rookie might have been asked/told that they were going on IR because the drafting team might already have a full complement of linebackers (for example).  By making IR a full-year sit out, the team was then disincentivized from doing this because access to that "bench" player was off-limits and an injury to one of your starters was more keenly felt. 

The NFL has changed so much since then.  Rookies don't want to sit.  Coaches and GMs don't want rookies to sit.  They're cheap talent and you realize an uplift on your salary cap when you have players on rookie contracts playing above their pay-scale.  Players would never agree to go on IR unless they truly were going to be out the full season.  The salary cap has made it next to impossible to stockpile talent like the pre-salary cap era. Why do we still impose a limitation on when a player can come back? 

[Gmo11]

Honestly, I'm not even sure why IR and the inability to return is still a thing.  The NFL has made some changes over the last few years but the original "issue", if there ever was one, has long since past.

The NFL implemented IR rules and the inability to return before the salary cap era.  It was done as a safe-guard mechanism that would prevent teams that were loaded with talent from stashing "young" talent on the IR as a way to bypass roster limitations.  Back then a rookie might have been asked/told that they were going on IR because the drafting team might already have a full complement of linebackers (for example).  By making IR a full-year sit out, the team was then disincentivized from doing this because access to that "bench" player was off-limits and an injury to one of your starters was more keenly felt. 

The NFL has changed so much since then.  Rookies don't want to sit.  Coaches and GMs don't want rookies to sit.  They're cheap talent and you realize an uplift on your salary cap when you have players on rookie contracts playing above their pay-scale.  Players would never agree to go on IR unless they truly were going to be out the full season.  The salary cap has made it next to impossible to stockpile talent like the pre-salary cap era. Why do we still impose a limitation on when a player can come back? 

Couldn't agree more.  There's no point to making an IR stint season ending if a guy can come back.  What if it's a 2 month injury that the team can't afford to carry the guy on the roster but could return for the end of the season or even the playoffs.  And with the number of injuries each team suffers every year, 2 spots eligible to come back may not be enough.  Just make them all eligible. 

[Rosehill Jimmy]

I also don't understand why they limit the number that can dress on game day