The NFL approved a rule change for the 2023 season that will allow teams to have a third quarterback on their active gameday rosters without that player counting against the 48-man limit. For the Vikings, that means rookie Jaren Hall can dress and be active for every game this season in case of emergency.
The league clarified some of the details of the rule this week. Here's a quick breakdown.
- The Emergency Third Quarterback has to be on the 53-man roster. That means Hall couldn't be waived and signed to the practice squad and elevated into the role. Because of that rule, he's likely going to spend the whole season on the 53.
- The Emergency Third Quarterback can only enter a game if both QB1 and QB2 are "unable to play either by disqualification or injury." Poor play or an equipment issue are not valid reasons for the third QB to be eligible to enter a game.
- Because "it is not the responsibility of the referee to determine the legitimacy of the injury or medical examination," you do wonder if teams could fake an injury. Then again, I'm not sure why a team would prefer to have its third QB in over its starter or backup.
- QB1 or QB2 can return to the game if they leave to be evaluated for injury (and the Emergency Third QB enters) and are then cleared to play.
- Here's a deep-cut one: "An Emergency Third Quarterback who enters a game must line up under center or in shotgun and must take the snap. No other player may take a snap if the Emergency Third Quarterback is in the game." In other words, no getting tricky with a Wildcat formation or something like that. Doing so would draw an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
- "Each club may designate three offensive players to use Coach-to-Player (C2P) communication devices. It is the club's choice as to whether it designates its Emergency Third Quarterback as one of its three C2P designees." I'd imagine the Vikings will choose their three QBs, including Hall, to be the three players with speakers in their helmets.
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