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The NFL practice squad can feel confusing if you are new to football. Is it a junior team? Is it a backup roster? Can players be moved up and down at any time? This guide explains everything in clear, simple language. You will learn who can join a practice squad, how elevations on game week work, what contracts look like, how other teams can sign practice squad players, and how teams use these spots for strategy. By the end, you will be able to read transaction news and immediately understand what it means for your favorite team.
What Is the NFL Practice Squad?
The practice squad is a group of players who practice with an NFL team but are not on that team’s 53-man active roster. They help the starters prepare each week and develop their own skills under NFL coaches. Practice squad players do not suit up every game, but they can be temporarily elevated or permanently signed to the active roster when needed.
Why the Practice Squad Exists
The NFL season is long, and injuries happen. Teams also want to train young players and have replacements ready for specific roles on short notice. The practice squad gives teams flexibility. It keeps players learning the playbook and the system so they can contribute quickly if called upon.
How It Differs from the Active Roster
Active roster players count toward the 53-man limit and are eligible to play every week, while practice squad players do not count toward the 53. Practice squad players can be elevated for a game or promoted permanently, but otherwise they mainly take part in meetings, workouts, and practice sessions.
Roster Math at a Glance
During the regular season, each NFL team carries a 53-man active roster plus a practice squad. On game day, teams can dress up to 48 players if they have eight offensive linemen active, otherwise they can dress 47. Practice squad elevations allow teams to temporarily bring up players to meet special needs without changing the 53-man roster.
Practice Squad Size
Each team can carry up to 16 players on the practice squad. This larger number became standard in recent seasons and gives coaches more flexibility to develop players, protect depth at key positions, and adjust weekly for opponents. There is also a special exemption for international players in some cases, which can add one extra non-counting spot under specific rules.
International Player Exemption
Through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, certain teams may receive an additional practice squad exemption for an international player. With the exemption, that player does not count toward the 16 spots, but the player is generally not eligible to be elevated to play in a game unless the team removes the exemption and counts the player under the normal practice squad limits.
Who Can Be on a Practice Squad?
Practice squad eligibility is based on NFL experience, which the league measures in accrued seasons. The rules are designed to keep the practice squad focused on development while still allowing room for veterans who can stabilize depth and offer leadership.
Accrued Seasons Explained
An accrued season is earned when a player is on full-pay status for at least six regular-season games in one season. This usually means being on the 53-man roster, injured reserve, or physically unable to perform list for those games. Time on a practice squad does not count toward an accrued season.
Basic Eligibility
Most practice squad spots are for players with two or fewer accrued seasons. These are typically young players, undrafted free agents, or late-round picks learning the pro game. These players get valuable reps in practice, learn the playbook, and can be elevated on game weeks as needed.
Veteran Practice Squad Spots
Not every spot is for young players. Teams are allowed several practice squad spots for veterans with more experience. This lets a team keep an experienced receiver, cornerback, or lineman around as a trusted backup who knows the system. The exact mix is capped, but in simple terms, a portion of the 16 slots can be used for veterans without an accrued-season limit.
Accrued vs. Credited Seasons
Fans sometimes hear about credited seasons too. A credited season affects benefits like pensions and is calculated differently than an accrued season. You do not need the details to follow roster moves, but the key idea is that practice squad time does not by itself earn an accrued season. Elevations alone also generally do not create an accrued season unless the player is actually on the 53-man roster for the required number of games.
How Do Players Get to a Practice Squad?
Most practice squad signings happen during roster cutdowns in late August, but moves continue all season as teams adjust.
Waivers After Final Cuts
Near the end of preseason, teams reduce their rosters from training-camp size to 53 players. Many players are waived. Other teams can claim those players for 24 hours. If a player goes unclaimed, he becomes a free agent and can sign to any team’s practice squad, including the team that just waived him.
Street Free Agents
A player not under contract with any NFL team is a free agent. If he meets eligibility rules, he can sign directly to a practice squad at any time, not only after cutdowns. This is common when injuries hit during the season and teams need depth quickly.
Re-signing Known Players
Teams often cut a player, hope he clears waivers, and then re-sign him to their practice squad. This keeps that player in the building and learning the scheme without using a 53-man roster spot.
Contracts, Pay, and Benefits
Practice squad contracts are different from active-roster deals. They are simple, week-to-week agreements with NFL-minimum weekly salaries that increase each year under the collective bargaining agreement.
Week-to-Week Contracts
Practice squad players are paid by the week. They can be released at any time, and they are free to sign with other teams’ 53-man rosters unless they are protected for that week. While teams sometimes add small signing bonuses or guarantees for certain players, most practice squad deals are straightforward and flexible.
How Much Do Practice Squad Players Make?
Salaries vary by experience and by year. Players with two or fewer accrued seasons receive a minimum weekly salary set by the league that rises each season. Veterans on practice squad make a higher weekly rate, with a minimum and a negotiable range. Exact numbers change every year, but for a simple picture, early-career players make a five-figure weekly amount, and veterans make a bit more per week. Over an entire season, that adds up, though it is still far less than active-roster pay.
What Happens When a Player Is Elevated?
When a practice squad player is elevated for a game, he receives pay for that game week at the active-roster rate, typically a one-week pro-rated share of the minimum salary for his experience level. After the game, the player returns to the practice squad and resumes the practice squad weekly salary unless he is signed to the 53-man roster.
Benefits and Service Time
Practice squad time has limited benefits compared to active roster service. It contributes to income and development but does not count toward an accrued season for free-agency status. Health coverage and certain benefits apply while under contract, and some benefits are tied to credited seasons, which may require game activations or time on the 53. The details are part of the collective bargaining agreement, and teams can advise players on their specific situation.
Postseason Pay
Practice squad players may continue to be paid during the postseason if they remain employed on the practice squad. If they are on the 53-man roster or elevated for playoff games, they can earn game checks or playoff shares as defined by league rules. The amounts and eligibility depend on status each week and the CBA’s postseason pay structure.
Game Week Mechanics
The most visible part of practice squad life happens during game week. Teams balance injuries, matchups, and special teams needs to decide whether to elevate players or make a permanent roster move.
Standard Elevations
Each week, a team can elevate up to two players from its practice squad to the active roster for that game. These are called standard elevations. After the game, those players revert automatically to the practice squad without having to pass through waivers. Each individual player can be elevated only a limited number of times in a season, and the current standard is up to three elevations per player per season. If a team wants to use that player again after the limit, the team must sign him to the 53-man roster.
Gameday Roster Numbers
Elevations allow a team to carry up to 55 players for that game week, but only 47 or 48 can be declared active on game day. The difference between 47 and 48 depends on whether the team dresses at least eight offensive linemen. Teams declare inactives after elevating players, and then the game-day roster is set.
Practice Squad Protections
Each week, teams can protect a small number of their practice squad players from being signed by other teams to the 53-man roster during a set window before the game. The common number is up to four protected players per week. The protection kicks in during the game-week window and ends after the team’s game. Protected players cannot be poached during that time, which helps teams keep plans and depth stable.
When Teams Skip Elevations
Sometimes teams do not elevate anyone. This can happen if the roster is healthy, if the coaching staff prefers continuity, or if the team plans a different move such as placing a player on injured reserve and signing a replacement to the 53 instead.
Being Signed by Another Team
One of the most important practice squad rules is that players are free to sign with any other team’s active roster. This is how players get long-term chances without waiting for their current team to have an opening.
Poaching Rules
Other teams can sign a practice squad player, but only to their 53-man roster, not to their practice squad. The player is free to choose the new team or stay with his current team if his current team offers to sign him to its own 53-man roster. There is no formal right of first refusal, but teams often rush to promote a player they want to keep.
The Three-Week Requirement
If a team signs a practice squad player from another team, that team must keep the player on its 53-man roster for a minimum of three games. If the team cuts him sooner, it still owes him three weeks of the appropriate salary. This rule discourages teams from signing a player just to block another team and then releasing him immediately.
Timing and Protections
Protection weeks matter. If a player is one of the protected practice squad players that week, other teams cannot sign him until the protection window ends after the game. Players who are not protected can be signed at any time, including midweek and even on game day before the game if timelines allow and the paperwork is processed.
Releases, Injuries, and Lists
Because practice squad contracts are flexible, teams can make frequent moves to handle injuries and changing needs.
Releasing and Re-signing Players
Teams can release practice squad players at any time. Those players become free agents immediately and do not go on waivers. Teams often release a player to make room for a short-term need, then bring the player back later in the week or the following week if the spot opens up again.
Practice Squad Injured Reserve
If a practice squad player gets hurt, he can be placed on practice squad injured reserve. He will not count against the 16-man limit while on this list. While on the practice squad IR, he cannot be signed by other teams. The team and player may also agree to an injury settlement, which pays the player for a set time and then frees him to sign elsewhere once healthy.
Waivers vs. Free Agency
It helps to remember the difference between waivers and releases. Players on a 53-man roster who are cut usually go through waivers. Practice squad players who are cut do not go through waivers because they are not on the 53. They can sign immediately with any club, including the one that just released them.
Special Cases and Common Questions
Some rules around practice squad moves are very specific. Understanding the basics below will help you read transaction news with confidence.
What About the Emergency Third Quarterback?
The emergency third quarterback rule is separate from practice squad rules. For a quarterback to be eligible as an emergency third QB on game day, he must be on the 53-man roster, not the practice squad. Practice squad quarterbacks can still be elevated as usual, but that is a different process and uses a standard elevation slot.
Do Elevations Count Toward Free Agency Status?
Elevations do not by themselves create an accrued season. To earn an accrued season that moves a player closer to certain free agency rights, the player generally needs to be on the 53-man roster, injured reserve, or the PUP list for at least six regular-season games. Time spent only on the practice squad does not count toward that tally.
Elevated vs. Signed to the 53
Being elevated is temporary; the player returns to the practice squad after the game. Being signed to the 53 is a permanent promotion, at least until the team makes a further move. A player can be elevated a limited number of times per season. After that, if the team wants to keep using him, it must sign him to the 53.
Can Practice Squad Players Be Traded?
No. Only players on the 53-man roster can be traded. If a team wants to trade for a player who is on another team’s practice squad, it first must sign that player to its 53-man roster. In practice this is rare, because once the player is signed to the new 53, trade rules and the three-week requirement apply.
Do Protected Players Get Paid More?
Protection status affects movement, not pay. Weekly pay is based on the practice squad contract, not on whether a player is protected that week. However, teams can increase a practice squad player’s weekly salary at any time to encourage him to stay, especially if another team shows interest.
How Teams Use the Practice Squad Strategically
The practice squad is not just a holding area. It is a strategic tool that smart teams use to adapt to injuries, opponents, and long-term development plans.
Developing Future Starters
Some positions need time to grow. Offensive linemen, tight ends, and defensive backs often develop on the practice squad before becoming contributors. Coaches use these weeks to build technique, strength, and playbook knowledge, so when the player is called up, he is not overwhelmed.
Preparing for Opponents
Practice squad players often run the scout team, imitating the next opponent’s plays and key players. Teams sign players with certain traits to mimic a mobile quarterback, a big-bodied receiver, or a specific style of pass rusher so that practices look and feel like the upcoming game.
Special Teams Depth
Many practice squad elevations are for special teams. A backup linebacker, safety, or receiver may be elevated to cover kicks and punts when injuries hit. This lets the team keep starters fresh and blend experience with youth on coverage units.
Protecting Priority Players
Each week, teams protect a few practice squad players they see as important. This can include a young lineman they want to develop, a versatile cornerback who can play in the slot or outside, or a backup quarterback they may need on short notice. Protection helps the team keep its plans intact.
Salary Bumps to Deter Poaching
When another team shows interest in a practice squad player, the current team can offer a higher weekly salary if the player stays. While practice squad pay has a minimum, it can be negotiated upward. This is a common way to keep a promising player from leaving unless he is offered a true 53-man opportunity elsewhere.
A Week in the Life of a Practice Squad Player
Imagine a young cornerback on a team’s practice squad. On Monday, he reviews film, lifts weights, and gets coaching points from the weekend. On Tuesday, he might be designated as protected for the week. On Wednesday and Thursday, he runs scout team looks, learning the routes and schemes the upcoming opponent loves to use.
Midweek Adjustments
On Friday, a starter tweaks a hamstring. Coaches meet and decide they might need extra help on special teams and as a backup defensive back. They consider using a standard elevation on this cornerback. The coaches check his elevation count for the year to make sure he has not hit the limit.
Gameday Elevation
On Saturday, the team files the elevation. The roster for Sunday is now effectively 55, though only 48 can be active if the team dresses eight offensive linemen. On Sunday, the cornerback is active and plays on kickoff coverage and as a sixth defensive back in dime packages. He earns the active-roster game check for that week.
Reversion and the Next Week
On Monday, he reverts automatically to the practice squad without waivers. The team may release another practice squad player to make room for a new lineman they want to try out. By Tuesday, he might be protected again if the staff expects to elevate him soon. All the while, he continues to practice and improve, staying ready for a permanent promotion if the team decides to sign him to the 53.
Reading Transaction News Without Getting Lost
Transaction logs can look like a new language, but a few phrases tell you everything. “Waived” means a player on the 53 was cut and must pass waivers. “Released from the practice squad” means he was cut from the practice squad and is a free agent immediately. “Signed to the practice squad” means a free agent joined the practice squad. “Elevated to the active roster” means a temporary move for the next game. “Signed to the 53-man roster” is a permanent promotion. “Reverted to the practice squad” means a temporary elevation ended as expected. “Protected on the practice squad” means other teams cannot sign that player for the week.
Common Myths and Clear Facts
A few myths keep popping up among fans. One myth is that practice squad players are like minor-league players under long-term control. In reality, practice squad contracts are week-to-week and players can leave for 53-man opportunities. Another myth is that teams can hide players on the practice squad all season. While protections help, other teams can still sign unprotected players, and even protected status resets after each game. A final myth is that elevations are unlimited. They are not; each player has a seasonal cap on standard elevations, after which a 53-man signing is required.
Does a Player Need to Clear Waivers to Revert?
No. After a standard elevation, the player automatically reverts to the practice squad without going through waivers. Waivers apply when a player is actually on the 53-man roster and then gets cut, not for temporary elevations.
Do Practice Squad Players Travel?
Sometimes. If a player is elevated or is likely to be a late-week elevation, he will travel with the team. If he is not elevated, travel is less common, but teams handle this differently based on plans and injuries.
Putting It All Together: The Full Lifecycle
A typical path might look like this. A rookie goes undrafted and signs with a team after the draft. He competes in training camp but is waived on the final cutdown day. He clears waivers and signs to the same team’s practice squad. Over the next month, he learns the defense, earns a weekly check, and plays well in practice. When injuries hit, he is elevated for two games and plays on special teams. Later, another team tries to sign him to its 53, but his current team acts fast and offers him a 53-man spot. He accepts and spends the rest of the season on the active roster. That path is common and shows how practice squads open real doors.
Why Teams Choose Elevate vs. Sign
Elevation is perfect for a one-week need. Signing to the 53 makes sense when the team expects the player to contribute for multiple weeks or wants to block other teams from poaching him. Salary, roster flexibility, and elevation limits all factor into the decision.
Simple Rules Cheat Sheet in Words
Think of the practice squad as a 16-player reserve group. Most players are young, but several slots can be veterans. Teams can elevate up to two players per week for the game, and each individual player can be elevated a limited number of times per season before he must be signed to the 53. Teams can protect a handful of practice squad players each week. Other teams can sign unprotected practice squad players to their 53 at any time, but they must keep them for at least three games or pay them for three weeks. Practice squad deals are weekly, flexible, and focused on development.
Beginner-Friendly Examples You Might See
If you read “Team X elevated WR John Doe and CB Jane Smith from the practice squad,” it means those players will be eligible to play this week and will revert afterward. If you read “Team Y signed DL Joe Roe to the 53-man roster from Team Z’s practice squad,” it means Joe Roe is changing teams and will be on Team Y’s 53 for at least three weeks. If you read “Team Z protected QB Chris Po on the practice squad,” it means no other team can sign him away to their 53 until after Team Z plays its next game.
Why the Practice Squad Matters
Some of the NFL’s best stories start on the practice squad. Future starters and even Pro Bowlers often spend time there. Coaches and general managers rely on these spots to shape the roster, develop talent, and adapt quickly. For fans, understanding practice squad rules adds context to the weekly chess match of injuries, matchups, and development.
Practical Tips for Following Your Team
When you see your team’s transaction list, check three things. First, note whether a player was elevated or permanently signed to the 53. Second, watch the number of times a player has been elevated this season. If he is at the limit, a permanent signing might be coming. Third, look for weekly protections on key developmental players. If your team protects a young tackle week after week, they likely value him highly and fear losing him.
Conclusion
The NFL practice squad is a smart system that blends development, flexibility, and opportunity. It gives young players time to learn, lets veterans stay ready, and allows teams to respond quickly to injuries and matchups. The main ideas are simple. The practice squad holds up to 16 players. Most are young, but a set number of veterans can be included. Teams can elevate up to two players each week for the game, and each player can only be elevated a limited number of times per season. Protected players cannot be poached during the weekly window, but unprotected players can be signed by any team’s 53 and must be kept for at least three games. Contracts are weekly, and pay increases when a player is elevated or permanently signed. With this understanding, you can follow roster news with confidence and see how your team uses every lever to compete each Sunday.