Carrying a third quarterback on the 53-man could be in vogue for NFL teams again this fall.
The NFL passed a bylaw originally proposed by the Detroit Lions at its spring meeting Monday allowing teams to dress a third quarterback who will not count against the team's gameday roster.
The emergency quarterback cannot come from the team's practice squad.
The Lions proposed allowing an emergency QB this spring after watching the San Francisco 49ers lose two quarterbacks to injury in last season's NFC championship game.
The 49ers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 31-7, after Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury on San Francisco's first offensive series and his replacement, Josh Johnson, suffered a brain injury.