Players placed on Injured Reserve always meant that their season was done. Caput. El terminator. There was no coming back. There was only next year. Until now. According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the NFL Players Association agreed on Thursday to revise the rule pertaining to players on Injured Reserve. Instead of being out for the entire season, teams can re-activate one player from IR later in the season. From Schefter's report.
Only players with a "major injury" who are placed on Reserve/Injured after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on Tuesday, September 4, or thereafter during the season, will be eligible to be reactivated at a later time.
One of the stipulations appears to be when a player is placed on IR. As Schefter tweeted, if he's placed on Reserve/Injured at 4:00 PM (Eastern) on or any time after Tuesday, September 4, will be eligible for reactiviation. For example if the Bengals wanted to place center Kyle Cook on Injured Reserve, they could re-activate him later during the season if he's placed on IR by the deadline. However on the information that's so far provided, it seems that players already on IR, like Brandon Ghee, Shaun Prater, Taveon Rogers, Robert Sands or Travelle Wharton, would not be eligible to come off IR.
The NFLPA also agreed to push the trading deadline from week six to week eight.
UPDATE: Stimpulations for the IR released by the NFL:
- Only players with a “major injury” who are placed on Reserve/Injured after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on Tuesday, September 4, or thereafter during the season, will be eligible to be reactivated at a later time.
- A “major injury” is defined as an injury that renders the player unable to practice or play football for at least six weeks (42 calendar days) from the date of injury.
- Each team may reactivate only one player placed on Reserve/Injured after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on Tuesday, September 4. That player must be “designated for return” at the time the club places him on Reserve/Injured, and such designation shall appear on that day’s Personnel Notice.
- Such player is eligible to return to practice if he has been on Reserve/Injured for at least six weeks from the date he is placed on Reserve. He is eligible to return to the Active List if he has been on Reserve/Injured for at least eight weeks from the date he is placed on Reserve.