Pro Football Rumors is dedicated to covering transactions in the NFL. Our focus includes tracking player activations from injured reserve (IR) and monitoring each team’s use of IR activations according to the rules. In 2024, there will be some changes to these rules as reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The core of the rules will remain unchanged. During the regular season and playoffs, each NFL team can designate a player on IR for return. Throughout the regular season, teams can make this designation up to eight times.

After being placed on IR, a player must sit out four games before being eligible to return. Once designated for return, the player has a 21-day practice window before being activated. If the team decides not to activate the player by the end of the 21-day period, the player will stay on IR for the rest of the season. A player can be designated for return twice in a season if they get injured again after returning from IR, with both designations counting against the team’s total for the season.

There are two main changes to the rule: one for the start of the season and one for the postseason. Previously, a player placed on IR before the regular season couldn’t return later in the season unless they spent one day on the 53-man roster after final cuts. Now, teams can designate two players from their preseason IR list for return on the final day of roster cuts, providing more flexibility with the roster. In the postseason, teams are granted two additional designations, allowing for more strategic use of activations for playoff-bound teams.

The preseason rule change has significant impact, as it allows more flexibility with roster spots and potential returns later in the season. This new rule benefits teams by creating more opportunities for players to return and reducing the need to reserve roster spots for injured players. Overall, teams will now have more flexibility with their rosters and waiver wire decisions.