Patriots Injury News Andrew Rupcich Placed on IR (Update: Positive News)

[Family]

I think last season alone there were several who went on IR and came back

Jahlani Tavai
Milton Williams
Will Campbell

There have been plenty of others who have done the same in previous seasons

The good news here is that an MCL injury is easier to rehab from than say, an ACL tear

Interesting question.

First Milton Williams and Will Campbell were IN-season IR. We are talking PRE-season

Tavai was PRE-season, but they waited until cutdown date, which they could have easily done in this case if they really wanted the player.

The rule:
The rule was adopted for 2024. It allows a team, on the business day of the final roster reduction, to place a maximum of two players on an applicable Reserve List and designate them for return. Those players do not first have to be on the 53-man roster. Each one immediately uses one of the team's season-long return designations.

So if they wanted a few weeks they could have IR'd Rupcich and brought him back when they wanted like they did with Tavai.

Since this rule was adopted in 2024 why would you IR a player you wanted back now, and can come back as Rupcich seems to be?

They effectively cut him.

 

[n1997y]

Interesting question.

First Milton Williams and Will Campbell were IN-season IR. We are talking PRE-season

Tavai was PRE-season, but they waited until cutdown date, which they could have easily done in this case if they really wanted the player.

The rule:
The rule was adopted for 2024. It allows a team, on the business day of the final roster reduction, to place a maximum of two players on an applicable Reserve List and designate them for return. Those players do not first have to be on the 53-man roster. Each one immediately uses one of the team's season-long return designations.

So if they wanted a few weeks they could have IR'd Rupcich and brought him back when they wanted like they did with Tavai.

Since this rule was adopted in 2024 why would you IR a player you wanted back now, and can come back as Rupcich seems to be?

They effectively cut him.

They had to. If they didn’t he remains on the roster, taking up a slot so they can’t sign his replacement without cutting someone else.

 

[Family]

They had to. If they didn’t he remains on the roster, taking up a slot so they can’t sign his replacement without cutting someone else.

There's 90 players. Sorry 91.

One more than usual anyway.

 

[n1997y]

There's 90 players. Sorry 91.

One more than usual anyway.

Yes. Exactly my point. The 91 is Metz, exemption for European player development IIRC.

They have a full 90 slot roster because they IRed Rupcich and signed a player to replace him. The other player they signed was to the slot opened by releasing the temporary LS they rented. If they didn’t as you suggested and kept Rupcich off IR until the final cutdown they would’ve had to release another player, or not sign one of those two IOL JAGs they just signed.