One of the key debates among Minnesota Vikings fans this preseason is how the team will manage the quarterback position following the season-ending injury to rookie J.J. McCarthy. With McCarthy out, the Vikings are left with three quarterbacks on their roster: Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall. (Matt Corral was also on the roster, but he didn’t have much of a chance.)
In the offseason, the NFL introduced a rule allowing teams to have a third quarterback on the practice squad and elevate them to the active roster an unlimited number of times during the season. Normally, players are limited to three elevations before needing to be signed to the active roster, but this rule was an exception for quarterbacks.
However, in a surprising and disappointing turn of events, the NFLPA reportedly vetoed this rule, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
Important note as teams construct their initial 53-man rosters:
NFL teams were informed that the NFLPA vetoed the revised Emergency 3rd Quarterback rule that would have allowed teams to elevate a bona fide QB from the practice squad an unlimited number of times.
So, the rule…
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 26, 2024
As Pelissero notes, this change means the rule reverts to last season’s standard. A third quarterback can be placed on the inactive list on game day but can only enter the game if both of the team’s other quarterbacks are injured and unable to continue. If either of the primary quarterbacks recovers, they must return to the game, and the third quarterback would need to leave.
This likely ends any hopes the Vikings had of slipping Jaren Hall onto the practice squad. Given his performance over the last two preseason games, Hall has played well enough to ensure he wouldn’t clear waivers; another team would almost certainly claim him if the Vikings released him.
The rule change almost ensures that Hall will secure a spot on the final 53-man roster. The Vikings might still consider adding another quarterback to the practice squad, whether it’s Matt Corral or a quarterback from another team’s final cuts, but for now, this rule change is significant and could have implications throughout the season.
Leave a Reply