Better than nothing? This is a solution in search of a problem. Who care's about this, at all? How many times has ANYONE stuck their 3rd sting guy in sometime during the first three quarters only to say "Well, you know, let's go back to our 1 or 2..."
Since I'm a Dolphins fan, I'll give you some examples I've seen with them. This season they ended up using 3 QBs in a game. Their starter came out due to injury after a couple plays and the #2 took over. The #2 was hurt late in the 3rd quarter. Both QBs were listed as "questionable" to return. Instead of putting in the 3rd QB and forfeiting their ability to come back to the game, they ran a couple of wildcat plays to end the quarter, then put in the 3rd string QB. The other two QBs didn't come back in, but they only had the option since they waiting until the 4th quarter.
The Dolphins like to do a bunch of Wildcat crap so to start the 2009 season they typically had Chad Pennington start and used Pat White as their #2 QB because of his wildcat abilities. Then their #3 QB (Henne), who was really their #2, was on the inactive list. Without the rule, if Pennington was hurt then the Dolphins could put in Henne as their QB and still be able to use White, circumventing the inactive list and virtually giving them an extra player.
Now if you're wondering why they don't just allow the teams to have an extra roster spot only good for a 3rd active QB...well, I don't know! I think it relates to some teams only have 2 QBs on the roster (3rd one being practice squad) and not wanting to give one team more players on the active roster than another. Teams with 2 QBs on the roster being able to put another player in there wouldn't be a good option but I'll explain that just below...
And they chose to only have to qb's so, isn't that their problem? I mean, I know the Skins would try and use the practice squad as a place to store quarterbacks but, so what? If they choose to not active the 3 for a game, oh well.
If anything, I see this as enabling. not limiting. It sounds like the directions three lawyers would write on the installation of a light bulb.
:shrug:
So, the Bears bring the kid in for one play at the end of the third, he gets hurt and, viola, they can't use either of the other two just because the Bears forgot one incredibly stupid rule.
That would be embarrassing for the league, I would think. I would quietly get rid of it this off-season to avoid that embarrassment.
Typically there are what, 45 or so active players on the roster with an "emergency" 3rd string QB. Out of those 45 active players, usually 44 of them play. Who doesn't play? That 2nd string QB. So if you're already not playing your 2nd string QB, it's a gross waste of an active roster spot to have 2 guys sitting there. While most roster spots can at least be somewhat decently be played by other guys, QB is a special case and all-important to the offense.
If the Bears were stupid enough to bring him in for that 1 play at the end of the 3rd quarter and he got hurt then that's their idiotic fault. Like I said in a previous post, they should have used Collins (or any idiot on the team), handed the ball off to end the 3rd quarter, then put Hanie in to start the 4th. If Collins was still healthy then that would have been the smart decision.
You have to draw the line somewhere regarding when they can or can't use a player from the inactive roster (3rd string QB). Hopefully my example above demonstrates why they have the rule in place.
