In the wake of our Thursday blurb regarding comments from Browns G.M. Phil Savage relating to the status of receiver Joe Jurevicius, several readers have raised questions about the operation of the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Many players are on the PUP list at the outset of training camp, and this does not impact in any way their ability to play in the regular season.  Limitations apply only when the player is on the PUP list to start the regular season, since such status automatically knocks the player out for at least six weeks of the regular season.

So the PUP list operates like the old injured reserve rules, which likewise resulted in a six-week stashing of the player on the roster.  The difference is that, for the PUP list, the absence is due to an injury that predated the opening of training camp.  For injured reserve, conditions occurring during camp were included.

In this case, Savage’s comments weren’t focused on Jurevicius being on the PUP list to start training camp, but to begin the regular season.

And, as one league source opined to us on Thursday, that’s a telling admission.  “If [Savage is] saying that, the injury must be bad,” the source said.  “You would never hear [Pats coach Bill] Belichick admit something like that about one of his players.”