The NFL and NFL Players Association recently agreed on new rules for the 2022 season, specifically regarding injured reserves and players who must miss at least four games before they can return, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday night.
Players scheduled to return from the reserve/injury or reserve/non-football injury/illness list are eligible to return after “four games have elapsed since he was placed on the relevant reserve list,” according to the by Garafolo received memo. Previously, players could return after missing three games.
In addition to the injured reserve rule changes, the NFL and NFLPA recently agreed on changes for the ramp-up phase of training camp and changes to practice rosters, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported.
In another change to injured reserve protocol, teams now have eight players eligible to return to the 53-man active roster or practice squad from the IR and/or reserve/non-football injury/illness roster per season . A single player can return from the IR a maximum of two times per season, but each time counts against the team’s eight assigned designations.
Changes for practice teams include being able to have 16 players, up from the previous team size of 14 players. Teams can now promote individual players from the training squad to the matchday squad up to a maximum of three times per season, instead of twice, which was previously a maximum.
The NFL and NFLPA have also changed details for start-up times during pre-season training camps. Sessions on the pitch, which could not exceed two hours, were now capped at 90 minutes on Day 2, 105 minutes on Day 3, and stayed at two hours for the last two days.