Rule change in the NFL. Teams are now allowed to add an emergency quarterback to the game day squad. Owners are doing this in response to injuries to Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson in the NFC Championship Game.

The NFL’s owners have agreed to a rule change that allows teams to call a third quarterback to the game-day roster without using one of the 53 roster spots on him.

However, the playmaker may only be used in an emergency. That is, in the event that the two “regular” playmakers cannot continue to play for health reasons or are sent off.

The new guideline is a reaction by the league to last season’s NFC Championship Game, when the San Francisco 49ers first had starter Brock Purdy out with a torn lateral ligament in his elbow and eventually also had backup Josh Johnson out with a concussion.

Purdy had to come back despite injury

With the team lacking a third quarterback on the roster, the 49ers initially tried to fill the void with running back Christian McCaffrey.

After only one pass attempt, however, he was replaced again by Purdy, who was physically barely able to throw.

In total, San Francisco threw only three passing plays in the final 27.5 minutes of the game and lost the game to the Philadelphia Eagles by a clear 7:31.