Allen Park — This past offseason, the Detroit Lions proposed an amendment to the NFL rulebook, which was subsequently approved by the league. It allows for a third, inactive quarterback to enter the game if both the starter and backup are injured and unable to finish the contest.
Several months after the fact, that rule adjustment won’t impact how the Lions initially shape their 53-man roster ahead of the 2023 regular season.
“No, I don’t feel like that has a bearing,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “Just because we presented the rule, we have to keep three quarterbacks? That’s not a must.”
The impetus for the rule tweak came after what happened in last year’s NFC conference championship game, when San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy tore a ligament in his throwing elbow and backup Josh Johnson suffered a concussion. Purdy ended up coming back to finish the game, but couldn’t effectively throw, contributing to a 31-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“You’re like, ‘Oh my God, if that ever happens (to us)? That’s the worst possible time,'” Campbell said in March.
If the Lions were to make the playoffs, carrying a third quarterback on the roster would probably receiver additional consideration, but there’s far less urgency to open the season. As it currently stands, Jared Goff is firmly entrenched as the team’s starter, with veteran Teddy Bridgewater as the projected backup.
Still, even if the rule change doesn’t factor into the equation, the Lions aren’t ruling out holding on to last year’s backup, Nate Sudfeld, as a third quarterback. That decision will boil down to whether he’s viewed as a more valuable piece than depth somewhere else on the roster.
“For us, is it worth keeping three quarterbacks? (That’s) No. 1,” Campbell said. “No. 2, where are we at with the rest of the roster? You (may) want to do that, but who are we losing to do that? …Is quarterback three better than corner four? And can we get these guys on practice squad? How does that affect how you build a roster?”
St. Brown on track
Lions Pro Bowl receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown exited practice with an ankle injury last week. Initial testing suggested it would be a short-term issue and Campbell confirmed St. Brown is healing well, even if he likely won’t do much this week.
“We weren’t going to play him in Carolina (anyway), but he’s feeling great,” Campbell said.
One of the most important pieces to Detroit’s 2023 success, St. Brown was among the NFL’s most productive pass-catchers on third down last season. The second-year receiver finished the year with 106 catches for 1,161 yards and six touchdowns.
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