NFL emergency QB rule: All you need to know about major change for 2023 season

The NFL is holding a Spring League Meeting in Minnesota to discuss a bunch of important topics regarding the 2023 season. One major change regarding gameday rosters is on the way.

Teams are now allowed to field a third quarterback on the gameday roster while not using one of the proclaimed 47-man slots. The NFL's emergency quarterback rule has been approved in light of the previous NFC Championship game when the San Francisco 49ers had both quarterbacks injured and were no match because of it.

The 49ers had Christian McCaffrey as their emergency quarterback that game. But in such an important contest against a strong team, he made little difference. The NFL's emergency quarterback rule would, in such circumstances, give a fair shot to any team who needs it.

The emergency quarterback can't be activated due to performance-related reasons - only through injury or disqualification. The medical team should give both active quarterbacks an OUT designation for the emergency quarterback to be allowed to play.

If any team puts three quarterbacks on the gameday active roster, then they are not allowed to field an emergency quarterback.

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What happened to the 49ers' quarterbacks during the NFC Championship Game?

The San Francisco 49ers' mission to take down the Eagles in Philadelphia became much more difficult with an injury to starting quarterback Brock Purdy, who suffered an elbow injury following a sack by Haason Reddick.

With Purdy telling head coach Kyle Shanahan "I can't throw the ball," backup quarterback Josh Johnson took over for the 49ers. He was the fourth quarterback to play an NFL game for San Francisco last year.

But his mission was cut short.

Johnson himself was concussed following a play where he suffered a hit and fell with his head to the ground. The hit was completely clean, but the injury meant he was not able to return to the game due to the NFL's concussion protocol.

Way before the NFC Championship game, starting quarterback Trey Lance went down for the season back in Week 2. Jimmy Garoppolo took over, but he also got injured midseason, and Purdy, the seventh-round rookie quarterback out of Iowa State, became the starter.

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Who proposed the NFL emergency quarterback rule change?

In fact, the proposal did not come from the 49ers, who suffered the most because of it. The proposal was made by the Detroit Lions.

The circumstances surrounding their request are still unknown, but it will be interesting to see how the rule pans out practically during the season.