Report: NFL considering roster exemption rule for concussed players

NFL owners are considering a new roster rule that would exempt players diagnosed with concussions from a spot in the active lineup until they are cleared to play on a game-to-game basis, reports Tom Pelissero of USA TODAY Sports.

The rule would work similar to the seven-day disabled list in baseball, allowing teams to place a concussed player on an exempt list and replace him with another player week-to-week until the concussed player is cleared.

Owners could vote on the rule Tuesday at the spring meetings, though it seems unlikely to be passed without more time to be discussed, according to Pelissero.

Two owners said that the discussion thus far has been among members of the competition committee and the health and safety committee, and that they believed more conversation is needed to fully understand the rules implications.

Currently, players with concussions still count as members of the 53-man roster unless they have been placed on injured reserve or the physically unable to play list. The new rule would allow players to be removed from the 53-man roster without being placed on IR, where only one player per season is allowed to return.