NFL approves roster exemption for 3rd active QB on game days after 49ers’ playoff woes

The NFL has reportedly approved a bylaw allowing teams to have a third quarterback active on game days without teams needing to use a roster spot for them.

This would have helped the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game last season. The team's starter, rookie Brock Purdy, exited in the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles due to a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. His backup, Josh Johnson, was forced out later in the contest due to a concussion.

San Francisco flirted with the idea of inserting running back Christian McCaffrey at running back for the remainder of the game.

An injured Purdy was forced to return to the game but could not throw the football, forcing San Francisco to become one-dimensional by only running the football. Many wonder what might have happened had Purdy not been injured or had the 49ers been able to attempt to pass later in the game.

"I ain't going to keep going on about what could've happened and what would've happened, but yeah, it would've definitely been a different outcome," wide receiver Deebo Samuel said earlier this month. "... We lost because we played with 10 people (on offense)."

Until 2010, the league required teams to designate an emergency quarterback in addition to the two passers on the game-day roster. If that third quarterback entered the game before the fourth quarter, the first two quarterbacks became ineligible to return.

When the emergency quarterback rule was eliminated, the NFL increased game-day rosters from 45 players to 46. There was nothing stopping teams from dressing a third quarterback for games. It's just not required. Instead, most opt to use the roster spot to add depth at another position.

The official wording for the rule is below.

One hour and 30 minutes prior to kickoff, each club is required to establish its Active List for the game by notifying the Referee of the players on its Inactive List for that game. Each club may also designate one emergency third quarterback from its 53-player Active/Inactive List (i.e., elevated players are not eligible for designation) who will be eligible to be activated during the game, if the club's first two quarterbacks on its game day Active List are not able to participate in the game due to injury or disqualification (activation cannot be a result of a head coach's in-game decision to remove a player from the game due to performance or conduct). If either of the injured quarterbacks is cleared by the medical staff to return to play, the emergency third quarterback must be removed from the game and is not permitted to continue to play quarterback or any other position, but is eligible to return to the game to play quarterback if another emergency third quarterback situation arises.

A club is not eligible to use these procedures if it carries three quarterbacks on its game day Active List [47- or 48-players in 2023].

Effect: Permits each club to designate an emergency quarterback who can be activated from its Inactive List if the two quarterbacks on the club's Active List are injured or disqualified and unable to participate in the game.

Reason: Integrity of game.