Are you saying the Return from IR is different than the PUP now. So they can decide to activate McClellin for the super bowl? There's no window after 8 weeks where they have to decide whether to permanently leave him on IR?
I read that somewhere, but it was on a site like
SB Nation,
Fansided, etc. Don't consider that gospel truth. I should have clarified.
I found this from the NFL league offices, and saw nothing about an 8-week window once a player is place on IR; just the three-week window once he begins practicing.
Interesting to note that the player must be designated for return prior to his return to practice. In other words that means IR's player cannot practice, and then the team makes a decision later. I was incorrect in the comment above in that regard and will edit that line.
Logically it would make sense that a player with a 10-week injury could stay on IR for ten weeks, practice for two weeks and then return. However, this
is the NFL that we are talking about. I can't find anything from the NFL that definitively states that this can - or cannot - be done.
I'm not positive if the underlined portion below means that there is strictly a three week window (or strictly a 3-6 week window?) that begins after six weeks on IR, or if it is only referring to the minimum time frame.
2017-18 Important NFL Dates | NFL Football Operations
Beginning on the sixth calendar day prior to a club’s seventh regular season game (including any bye week) clubs are permitted to begin practicing players on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform and Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness who are for a period not to exceed 21 days. Players may be activated during the 21-day practice period, or prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the day after the conclusion of the 21-day period, provided that no player may be activated to participate in a Week Six game.
At any time after six weeks have elapsed since a player was placed on Reserve/Injured or Reserve/Non-Football Injury/Illness, each club is permitted to designate two players for return from either list to the Club’s 53-player Active/Inactive List.
A player who is “Designated For Return” must have suffered a major football-related injury or non-football-related injury or illness after reporting to training camp and must have been placed on the applicable Reserve List after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the day after the final roster reduction.
A player whom the Club wishes to designate for return is permitted to return to practice for a period not to exceed 21 days. The Club is required to notify the League office that the player has been “Designated For Return” on the first day the player begins to practice. The player cannot be returned to the Active/Inactive List until eight weeks have elapsed since the date he was placed on Reserve.
