The Washington Commanders have officially trimmed their roster down to 53 players, but the work isn’t over for coaches and personnel executives. Washington is 11th on the waiver priority list until the list resets after Week 3. The team also has a 16-man practice squad to fill. The team released ~28 players today, and a lot of them will be signed to the PS if they aren’t claimed. The rules changed last year due to COVID-19, and we’ve got the breakdown on all the changes here.
16 player squads
Practice squads were limited to 10 players in 2019, but that was set to change with the new CBA. The number was going to 12 players for 2 years, and then was going to be increased to 14 players in 2022. That all changed when the uncertainty of COVID-19 hit, and the league increased practice squads to 16 players which will once again be the limit in 2022.
Practice squad players moving up to the main roster
Teams now have more flexibility with using practice squad players on game day. PS players can be activated on game day before the team announces their inactives (90 minutes before game time). The player doesn’t have to be elevated from the PS to the main roster for the move. This can happen with up to two practice squad players per week. A player is now able to be elevated three times per season. To be activated a fourth time requires the player to be signed to the regular roster.
This is a big change from past rules, and makes it easier for teams to have players they know and trust on game day, and also not have to subject them to waivers when they are signed to the main roster and cut to get back to the practice squad.
More protection
The NFL also added a new wrinkle to the practice squad that provides teams with some limited protections for keeping practice squad players. Teams can designate four players every week that are protected from being signed by other teams. This protection starts on Tuesday each week, so every practice squad player is still available to be signed to the regular roster of another team after their team’s game that week until the deadline on Tuesday.
Veteran players
Another change over the last two years is the eligibility requirements for veteran players. Previously teams could have up to 4 players who had two years of NFL experience. Now teams can have 6 veterans with no limit on the amount of accrued seasons they have in the league.
Weekly payment
Practice squad players make $11,500 per week or $207,000 for 18 weeks. Veteran players with over two years of experience will make a minimum of $15,400 per week or $277,200 for 18 weeks, and a maximum of $19,900 per week or $358,200.
Signing with the practice squad
Teams completed their roster cuts by Tuesday August 30th at 4pm, meaning that over 800 players just became available. Teams have until Wednesday at 12:00 noon to claim unvested players that have been waived. Vested veterans (players with a minimum of 4 accrued seasons) will be free agents immediately and are able to sign with any team.
Starting at 12:00 pm ET on August 31st, teams can begin signing players to their practice squads.
Practice squad basics
- Practice squad players practice with the team. They do not play in games, unless they are elevated (see above)
- Practice squad players are paid per week and can be released at any point during the season.
- Practice squad players are free to sign with other NFL teams (with the exception of the four protected players described above, or the upcoming opponent as described below), but they have to be signed to the 53-man active roster of the acquiring team. A practice squad player cannot be signed to another practice squad unless he is first released or waived.
- A practice squad player can not sign with his team’s upcoming opponent, unless he does so six days before the upcoming game or 10 days if his team is currently on a bye week.
- If a practice squad player is signed to the active roster, he will receive a minimum of three weekly paychecks, even if he is released before spending three weeks with the new team.
- In order to be signed to a practice squad after being released, a player who is not a vested veteran must first clear waivers, and is subject to waiver claims by other teams.
FAQs
A team's practice squad can have: Any number of players who have not accrued at least nine games in an NFL season. Up to four players who have accrued no more than two NFL seasons. Up to six players with no limitations on experience.
What are the salary rules for practice squad players? ›
How much money do NFL Practice Squad Players make annually? The minimum weekly wage for players with two or fewer NFL seasons is $11,500, or $207,000 for an 18-week stint on the practice squad. When a player is on full-time pay status for at least six regular-season games, they have accrued a season.
Do NFL players on the practice squad get paid? ›
Players on NFL practice squads earned a minimum of $11,500 per week, or $207,000 for an entire season, in 2022. However, that minimum was for players who had accrued less than two seasons. That number increased to $15,400 per week or $277,200 for 18 weeks if the player had accrued two or more seasons.
Do practice squad players count towards salary cap? ›
Teams are allowed to pay a player a higher salary than the minimum, which often happens if another team comes sniffing around a player. All practice squad salaries are counted under the team's salary cap.
How long is a player practice squad eligible? ›
Typical practice squad contracts automatically terminate one week after the team's final regular season or postseason game of the season. The 2020 collective bargaining agreement allowed for teams to elevate up to two players per week to the active roster from the practice squad.
How many years can a player be on practice squad? ›
The practice squad may have: Players with no NFL experience (zero accrued seasons) Players who were active for fewer than nine games during their only accrued season. Up to ten players may have no more than two accrued seasons.
Do practice squad players get paid in the off season? ›
Practice squad players are paid by the week, so there aren't any yearlong contracts. That said, other teams can sign practice squad players to their own 53-man roster, provided that player isn't "protected" by their current team that particular week, which is part of the rules that went into effect back in 2020.
Do practice squad players get a ring? ›
Per the CBA, players that were on the winning team's practice squad at the time of the Super Bowl victory are also entitled to a ring, but it can be one of lesser value. The Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl XLV ring contained more than 100 diamonds.
Do practice squad players get Super Bowl bonus? ›
Also, unlike active roster players, practice squad players receive no bonus for playing postseason games. “Last year, the bonus for winning the Super Bowl was like over $100,000, and we still got the regular pay!” says Davis, laughing.
Do practice squad players get playoff bonuses? ›
For 2023, players on the winning team in the Super Bowl receive $164,000 where players and the losing team receive $89,000. As for practice squad players during the postseason, they continue to make their same weekly amounts from the regular season.
Practice squad players make $11,500 per week or $207,000 for 18 weeks. Veteran players with over two years of experience will make a minimum of $15,400 per week or $277,200 for 18 weeks, and a maximum of $19,900 per week or $358,200.
What is the lowest paid NFL player? ›
While Tyrone Swoopes was the lowest paid player in the NFL in 2021, looking at the low end of league earners in 2022 isn't as transparent. In professional sports, a salary cap is a wage cap that imposes a limit on the total amount of money a team can spend on their players' salaries.
What benefits do practice squad players get? ›
Players also have Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage. Money you save for retirement by deferring salary as an Active Practice Squad Player. You do not pay taxes on your contributions or investment earnings until you take money out.
How many times can you elevate a practice squad player? ›
These players can be elevated three times during the course of the season, reverting to the practice squad the following week.
Can any team claim a player from a practice squad? ›
Players cannot be signed directly from one practice squad to another. They either have to be released first or added to the active 53-man team.
What does it mean when a NFL player is on the practice squad? ›
Practice squad players practice with the team. They do not play in games, unless they are elevated (see above) Practice squad players are paid per week and can be released at any point during the season.
Can veterans be on NFL practice squad? ›
Of the 16 players allowed on a practice squad, 10 may not have accrued more than two NFL seasons, while the remaining six players have no limitations (veterans). Players who are on the practice squad can be placed on the active/game day roster no more than three times during the regular season.
Do NFL practice squad players get Super Bowl rings? ›
Everyone on the winning roster, along with coaches, executives, and practice squad players, receives a coveted Super Bowl Ring. The players on the practice squad often get one of lesser value. The owner of the teams can also award rings to whomever they choose.
Do practice squad players travel with team? ›
NFL practice squad players are not allowed to travel with their team to road games. Even though they put in the same work during the week as players on the active roster (and sometimes more), they'll watch road games from the same places many fans would; the comfort of their couches at home.
