The Pencil Neck
Hall of Fame
I had this argument last year and I don't get saving the irdtr tag for an "important" player.
2 things, what does the importance of the player have to do with anything? It's the saving of a roster spot for a few weeks that is what is needed.
Also, if that other injury never comes then you excluded a guy that could have been useful.
Worse case is if you have another injury to a guy you want to bring back and not put on IR, then you lose a 53 man roster spot. You still get the same amount of game day spots, except that player is now inactive.
Now, I get it if you have two or more injuries at the same time later on...then it becomes a case of either IR a guy to save a roster spot or keep them both on the 53 while they recover.
But if quess can return then this is exactly what the IRdtr was meant for. To basically hold an extra spot for a guy until healthy.
If Watt gets an injury that's going to keep him out 2 months in week 3, you aren't going to IR him for the year. You'll keep him on the active roster and you'll just activate one of those guys that's not normally active on game days and you'll sit Watt. Same number of game day players. 1 less healthy body on the 53.
And the bolded is the point. Q is a backup lineman at this point. I like the guy. And we can put him on the IR with the designation for return. No problem with that.
But more people are going to get injured. Several of those guys could be important guys. And we might be up against the wall if we try to carry them all for the entirety of the season on the regular roster. If one of those guys gets into that situation, then they make a lot more sense to stash and bring back.