NFL Passes Rule Change to Allow 3rd Active QB Without Using Roster Spot

San Francisco 49ers fans, rejoice.

The NFL passed a rule change on Monday at the spring meetings that will allow teams to carry an emergency third quarterback on the active roster without losing a roster spot.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network first reported the approval of the bylaw.

The full change can be seen below:

NFL teams were still permitted to carry three quarterbacks on the roster in the past but it cost them a roster spot, so many teams—banking on the unlikelihood of two quarterbacks getting hurt in the same game—only carried two quarterbacks on game day.

That backfired mightily for the Niners in the NFC Championship Game, however, as both Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson were injured. That led to the Niners running a Wildcat offense with running back Christian McCaffrey taking the snaps for much of the second half in a 31-7 blowout loss against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Of course, it's fair to argue that a third-string quarterback probably wouldn't have impacted the result:

In San Francisco's defense, it was actually the Detroit Lions who proposed the change. But after the Niners played much of the second half in one of the biggest games and broadcasts of the season without a true quarterback, it became likely that some change would occur.

The Lions also proposed a change that would give NFL coaches a third challenge if just one challenge is successful, rather than the current two.

Additionally, the Los Angeles Rams proposed allowing roughing the passer penalties to be replay reviewable; the Los Angeles Chargers proposed a rule that would seed a wild-card team higher than a division winner in the playoffs if the wild-card team had four or more wins and the divisional winner was under .500; and the Philadelphia Eagles proposed an alternative to the onside kick that would give teams a 4th-and-20 from their own 20-yard line, keeping the ball upon a successful conversion.

It was yet again tabled by the owners, however.

One of the most controversial potential rule changes, which would allow teams to perform a fair catch on the kickoff and get the ball at their own 25-yard line, will potentially be voted on Tuesday.