NFL approves 'Brock Purdy rule' to carry an extra QB on gameday roster

In light of what happened to Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson in last year's NFC Championship game, teams can now carry a third quarterback.

With all due respect to now-Baltimore Ravens quarterback Josh Johnson, the 2023 NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers was essentially over when starting quarterback Brock Purdy was knocked out of the game with what turned out to be a torn UCL.

Except Purdy had to reenter the game after Johnson, his backup that day, was subsequently forced out with a concussion.

All the injured Purdy could do was basically hand the ball off, and Philly walked away with what turned out to be a relatively easy victory from halftime onward.

Teams rarely carry three quarterbacks on a 53-man roster, and even if they do, the third one is usually a gameday inactive. Instead, head coaches prefer to reinforce other high-risk positions with added depth, such as the offensive line or the secondary.

In light of what happened with Purdy, Johnson and the Niners in the NFC Championship, however, a rule was proposed that would allow teams to carry an extra quarterback without using up a spot on that active gameday group.

On Monday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the rule was approved:

Granted, Johnson wasn't exactly going to save the 49ers during that game, and it was readily apparent during his brief time on the field that he wasn'g going to assist the Niners offense that much in the wake of Purdy's injury.

However, in light of the lack of competition once Johnson exited and Purdy had to reenter, the desire to have that rule change and the ability to keep a third quarterback active made more sense.

The NFL finally spoke it into existence. But will it be called the "Brock Purdy rule?" Or how about the "Josh Johnson rule?"

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