I wonder why they made the rule this way. The way it is now. A player can be hurt before camp, and through PUP can be returned to the team during the season. Or hurt once the season starts and through the IR return designation. But when hurt during preseason, they will have to be kept on the team through the final cuts.
Why not just say, if not eligible for PUP, one player can be designated for return from IR. And let the teams designate that at any time during pre-season or regular season.
Originally Posted by: PackFanWithTwins
That is a good question, personally I think this will be expanded much like MLB DL designation. It only makes sense for the NFL, clubs and players.
The NFL can get stars back in the same season and it would allow for players to heal and still keep the level of talent on the field Sundays as high as possible.
Clubs get more flexibility with the roster limits and carrying injured players on the roster.
And the players, if hurt may get to play again in a season where the club in the past may have IR'd them and filled their roster spot. Young players and players with incentives in their contracts would greatly benefit from this. Union has more dues coming and and more players drawing revenue.
I think a couple things were there in that decision.
1. Avoiding it being a way to stashing a player. I think this comes into play when they expand this program.. I think it has every intention of being expanded.
2. They were in a rush to implement and try it for evaluations of the success or failure of the program.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"