Purpose of the PUP list?

[PATRlOT]

I don't get it. If a player is hurt - they're hurt. And they should come back as soon as they feel healthy.

Why do they have to get put on a list that limits them to when they can come back? Am I the only one who doesn't like this? The fact that they're hurt and missing games is crappy enough.

Sorry if this is a dumb question. Hopefully there's no blatantly obvious purpose that I'm missing here.

 

[jmt57]

I don't get it. If a player is hurt - they're hurt. And they should come back as soon as they feel healthy.

Why do they have to get put on a list that limits them to when they can come back? Am I the only one who doesn't like this? The fact that they're hurt and missing games is crappy enough.

Sorry if this is a dumb question. Hopefully there's no blatantly obvious purpose that I'm missing here.

It's a valid question.

I would guess that the reason for the specific time frame is to prevent teams from using the PUP designation to circumvent roster limits. Compared to other sports the NFL is unique in this regard, similar to how they handle players being placed on injured reserve.

Logically it would make more sense to let players come back when they are ready, and not force a team to make a decision in advance on the unknown of when he will be capable of playing again. The IR designation is even more severe; do you use one of those limited valuable roster spots on a player who you know won't be available for an extended time, or do you go ahead and IR him even though there is reason to believe he will be ready to play again before the season ends?

I would not be surprised to see these rules changed in the next few years; my question would be how the emphasis on player safety may effect any adjustments to these designations. Some may argue (incorrectly, in my opinion) that the rules should be left alone, in order to allow those players the time they need to get healthy. In reality though you can't put every injury into the three current categories of (a) stays on the roster, 'day-to-day'; (b) not allowed to practice or play for six weeks (PUP); or (c) not allowed to practice or play for the remainder of the year (IR). Each injury is unique, each player is unique, so therefore the cookie cutter approach does not apply to each recovery and rehab.