The NFL has once again tweaked its rules for players on a team’s Reserve/Injured (injured reserve) list.
Most of the rules remain the same. Once a player is placed on the list, they must miss at least four of the team’s games. While on IR, they are not counted on the team’s active roster — although their compensation is still counted against the salary cap.
After four games, a player may be designated to return, which opens a 21-day window during which they can attend practices but are still not counted on the active roster. If they are not activated to the roster during this period, they must remain on IR for the rest of the season.