Remember some of the difficult conversations last year?
Should the New England Patriots bring back offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn from injured reserve? Well, what about first-round pick N’Keal Harry? Then again, fullback James Develin could help the running game, right?
The fact the Patriots (and every other NFL team) could return only two players from injured reserve sparked continuous debate. Well, at least until the Patriots put an end to it and brought back Harry and Wynn.
The Patriots, and all other NFL teams, however, no longer have to worry about that decision. The NFL has decided rather than allowing just two players to return, teams will be able to return three from the IR starting in this fall.
Essentially, the new rule will give all teams a bit more flexibility during the season and even prior to selecting each organization’s initial 53-man roster. For a player to be eligible to return later in the season, they must start the season on said team’s initial 53-man roster.
Of course, if everything goes perfectly, the Patriots won’t have to place any player on IR in the first place. But that’s highly unlikely, as football is a contact sport with injuries occurring each and every week. (And nothing is perfect, after all.)
Hopefully, however, this new rule will work in the Pats’ favor moving forward.
