NFL tweak to injured reserve rule could change how the Cowboys handle roster cuts

In recent years, the NFL has modified and relaxed some of its rules on roster limits and injury designations, and teams like the Cowboys have benefited from them when it comes to making the tough decisions. The expanded practice squad limit, for example, has made a big difference in how teams stack their depth.

Equally impactful is the advent of allowing players to return from the injured reserve after just four weeks, as opposed to eight weeks. At times, this has allowed the Cowboys (and plenty of other teams) to more easily absorb a longer-term injury by creating a roster spot to replace them without having to lose that player for half the season.

However, up until now that rule has only applied to players that go on the injured reserve once the regular season begins. That’s resulted in teams often cutting a player whom they intend to re-sign, then moving the injured player to the IR a couple of days later, and hoping to bring back the other player.

That has changed this season. A new modification to the IR rules allows teams to designate two players to return from the injured reserve during final cuts, thus eliminating the need to get as creative with who gets cut and who gets brought back a few days later.

As Todd Archer hints, this rule will almost assuredly be applied to Chuma Edoga, the offensive lineman who was injured in the Cowboys’ first preseason game and is expected to be out for at least a month, if not longer. Edoga would still have to miss the first four weeks of the regular season before being eligible to return.

This change isn’t something that will be seismic in its impact, but it does eliminate the need for teams to get a little creative in their final cuts. In Edoga’s case, they can now add him to the injured reserve during their final cuts knowing that he’ll be eligible to return in Week 5, at the earliest, and solely focus on which other offensive linemen to keep on their roster without exposing any of them to waivers.

It should be noted that this rule tweak applies exclusively to the final round of preseason cuts, and not any time during the preseason. The Cowboys have already added two players to their injured reserve - Sam Williams and Earl Bostick - and both of those players’ seasons are done with regards to their eligibility to play. In both cases, the injury in question required surgery, and it was highly unlikely they’d even recover before the conclusion of the season anyway.

Again, this isn’t a drastic rule change with sweeping implications, but it makes things just a bit cleaner on roster cutdown day.