Change to injured reserve rule forces teams to be choosy
NASHVILLE, TENN. (AP) >> Tennessee Titans cornerback Elijah Molden is used to the business of pro football as a second-generation NFL player.
Molden didn’t worry that the injured groin putting him on injured reserve Sept. 9 would cost him a full season even after an offseason NFL rule change limiting teams to bringing back only eight players from injured reserve to the active roster this season.
“It is definitely a game that the front office plays, you know chess, not checkers,” Molden said. “So I talked with my agent, talked with the coaches and front office and let them work it out.”
As the NFL hits the halfway point of the season, Molden remains on injured reserve as one of 13 Titans sidelined by injury. That’s the most in the league per Spotrac.com, a year after the Titans set an NFL record last season using an NFL record 91 different players in a non-strike season.
The Titans already are halfway to the 26 placed on injured reserve a year ago and used the unlimited return rule to help earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
They are among at least eight teams with at least 10 players on IR as of Monday, a number that changes daily. That includes the defending champion Rams at 11 after finishing last season with only nine. Among that group is starting left tackle Joseph Noteboom, who replaced Andrew Whitworth after his retirement.
The rule changes means every NFL team has to think very carefully about injuries. Not only did the NFL limit the number that can return, but players now must spend four games instead of three on injured reserve. Practice squads stayed at 16 to ensure available players in shape to provide needed help when injuries hit.
Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane likes the rule changes.
“There’s a line that the league worries about roster stashing, just putting guys on to get another guy so I think you want to make sure that people aren’t stashing,” Beane said. “That’s going to be what the league stance is. I think it’s come to a pretty good medium.”