Most NFL players hope to land on a 53-man roster when the NFL season begins. Not all of them will make it through cut day unscathed.
Every NFL team must trim its roster from 90 players to 53 after Week 3 of the preseason. This will create an influx of players looking for roles in the NFL, and almost all of them will be practice squad candidates.
Practice squad players may not be celebrated, but they are an important part of any NFL organization. They typically play a key role in weekly practices – whether as scout team participants or in actual defensive drills – and are usually the first line of substitutes and backups when players get injured.
How exactly do practice squads work? They aren’t as glamorous as actual NFL roster spots, but they do come with certain advantages that both NFL veterans and rookies can benefit from.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 NFL practice squad rules, including the size of the teams and how much each player will be paid.
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How many players are on an NFL practice squad?
From 2024, NFL teams will be allowed 17 players on their training teams – provided that one of the players is a member of the NFL’s International Pathway Program (IPP).
This is the second expansion of the training squad limit since 2020. The size limit was originally 10, but was increased to 16 in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previously, the NFL granted teams a waiver to sign a 17th practice squad player if an international player did not make a team’s 53-man roster, clear the waivers list and was part of the IPP. These players were ineligible to be signed or added to the active roster if they did not make it through training camp.
Now, the 17th player can be added to the team’s active roster a maximum of three times during the current NFL season before he must be added to the 53-man roster to continue playing.
Who is suitable for an NFL practice squad?
Any player can sign up for an NFL practice squad, but the NFL has implemented certain restrictions to ensure that the practice squad remains a place to develop young talent.
Of the 17 practice squad players, 10 can have played two or fewer NFL seasons. The other six have no restrictions and are referred to as “veterans.” And one player must participate in the NFL’s International Pathway Program if a team wants to sign 17 players.
The qualifications for the training squad are as follows:
- Players who do not have one season of NFL experience (rookies);
- Players who appeared in fewer than nine regular season games on the active roster during their only accumulated season(s);
- Up to four players per team who have completed no more than two accumulated seasons (no game restrictions);
- Up to six players per team with no limit on the number of seasons they have purchased;
- At least one player who is a member of the NFL’s International Pathway Program (IPP).
Teams may protect up to four players from the practice squad each week. Other teams cannot sign these protected players.
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Can NFL practice squad players participate in games?
Yes, practice team players can take part in games. To do so, they must be included in a team’s matchday squad.
NFL clubs can field up to two players from the practice squad on game day to expand their roster to 55 players. Seven players must be marked inactive, leaving 48 players eligible to compete.
After the game, the promoted players return to the training squad. Players can only be promoted three times in a season. After that, the team must place them on the active roster if they want to play in further games.
Can practice squad players sign with other teams?
Yes, players from the practice squad can sign with other teams. The only condition is that they must sign to join another team’s 53-man roster. They cannot move from one practice squad to another unless they are released or waived.
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NFL Training Team Salaries
The NFL uses two different salary brackets to determine the salaries of practice squad players.
Players with two or fewer seasons in the NFL receive a fixed amount each week. This salary is set at $12,500 for the 2024 NFL season, but will increase for the duration of the league’s current CBA, which runs through the 2030 season.
| Year | Weekly wage |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 12,500 US dollars |
| 2025 | 13,000 US dollars |
| 2026 | 13,750 USD |
| 2027 | $14,500 |
| 2028 | 15,250 USD |
| 2029 | 16,000 US dollars |
| 2030 | 16,750 USD |
The other salary bracket is for NFL veterans with three or more seasons of experience. Unlike the younger practice squad recruits, they do not have a fixed salary. They can negotiate their payments within a predetermined framework.
The minimum weekly salary for a veteran on the training squad in 2024 is $16,800, and the maximum is $21,300.
| Year | Minimum wage | Maximum salary |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $16,800 | $21,300 |
| 2025 | 17,500 US dollars | 22,000 US dollars |
| 2026 | 18,350 USD | $22,850 |
| 2027 | $19,200 | $23,700 |
| 2028 | $20,900 | $25,400 |
| 2029 | $20,900 | $25,400 |
| 2030 | $21,750 | $26,250 |
