How many times can a player return from injured reserve (IR)?

A player can return from injured reserve (IR) twice during a season under the NFL's rules. Initially, when a player is placed on IR, the team must designate them for return. Once that designation is made, the player is eligible to return to practice after three weeks and can be activated to the roster after six weeks. However, the process can only be executed for two players per team each season, and each player can only be designated for return once per season. This rule encourages teams to manage their rosters strategically while providing players the opportunity to return from significant injuries without losing their season, thus underscoring the importance of the correct choice.

While other options imply limitations or unrestricted possibilities, the governing rules specifically set the return to two instances, making this answer uniquely correct within the given context.