You will likely pay close attention to the salaries for the starters, back-ups and anyone else on the 53-man roster when you follow your favorite NFL team. These salaries are most important for salary cap purposes, but you should also pay attention to the salaries of the practice squad.

What is the salary of an NFL practice squad player, then?

An NFL practice squad player’s salary is divided into two groups: veterans and everyone else. The weekly salary for those who have less than two seasons in the league is $9,200. The weekly salary for those who have more than two seasons in the league is $9,200.

You’re likely to have heard of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL (NFL Player’s Association) and the NFL. It is an agreement that ensures all players have equal opportunities to play the game they love.

A new CBA was signed before the 2020 season. It completely transformed the landscape for NFL practice squad members for many years, including their salaries. Continue reading to learn more about the changes made to the CBA.

What is the average salary of Practice Squad players?

As we have already mentioned, practice squad members of the NFL receive a weekly salary. This is for as long as they are a part of the practice squad. The new CBA mandates that players receive a weekly salary, which is dependent on how many seasons they have played in the league.

When determining the salary of a practice squad player, there are two groups of players. The first group includes any player who has not more than two seasons in the NFL. This includes any rookie or player who made less than nine appearances their first year.

The first group, which is the majority of the team’s practice squad, will be paid a minimum weekly wage of $9,200 for the 2021-22 season. This number will increase every year under the new CBA as the league continues to make more money each year. This first group also has a weekly maximum salary.

Here are the next few years’ plans for this first group:

Season	Weekly Salary
2022-23	$11,500
2023-24	$12,000
2024-25	$12,500
2025-26	$13,000
2026-27	$13,750
2027-28	$14,500
2028-29	$15,250
2029-30	$16,000
2030-31	$16,750

Let’s now see the impact the first group will have on the upcoming season. The veterans are any player who has played in more than two seasons in the league. These players receive both a minimum- and maximum salary under the new CBA.

Veterans will make $14,000 per week for the 2021-22 season. The minimum and maximum will remain the same until the beginning of the 2022/23 season. We’ll show how the future looks under the new CBA.

Season	Minimum Weekly Salary	Maximum Weekly Salary
2022-23	$15,400	$19,900
2023-24	$16,100	$20,600
2024-25	$16,800	$21,300
2025-26	$17,500	$22,000
2026-27	$18,350	$22,850
2027-28	$19,200	$23,700
2028-29	$20,050	$24,550
2029-30	$20,900	$25,400
2030-31	$21,750	$26,250

The new CBA was created to give younger players the opportunity to make a living as they build a reputation on the NFL practice squad. It also allows veteran players to earn higher salaries as they gain more experience in the league.

Why do NFL teams have practice squads?

For many reasons, practice squads are often given to NFL teams. It’s a great opportunity for the player, but it’s also a great opportunity for the team get a closer look to some of the most promising young players.

The practice squad actually practices with the actual team so they can develop alongside some of the most talented football players in the world. They get to see how the team works and play the game so they are ready for when they are called up.

Because injuries are more common than you might think, the practice squad is an important part of any NFL team. Because football is one of the most physically demanding sports, it’s important to have a team of players who can step in for any coach.

Although a practice team is usually made up of young players who aren’t qualified to make the 53 man roster, NFL teams can have some veterans on their practice squad. Because veterans often have a lot of NFL experience and are great in the locker room, this helps everyone.

How many players are on the practice squad?

A practice squad with hungry players is a great thing for both the player as well as the team. However, there are many restrictions that must be met when signing players to the practice roster. One of the most important rules is the number of players that can be on the practice squad.

Many NFL fans are familiar with the NFL’s practice squad limit of 10. However, this restriction has been removed in recent years. Prior to the signing of the CBA, which was prior to the 2020 season teams were allowed up 12 players.

The 12-player limit was to be maintained until the 2022-23 seasons, when it would increase to 14 players. The plan is still in place. However, the NFL experienced a little trouble prior to the 2020-21 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They had to make some changes.

The 2020-21 NFL season allowed 16 players to practice with their teams. Four of these were protected from other teams. This temporary change was caused by the high number of injuries and players who were going through COVID-19 safety and health protocols every week.

The NFL will resume 12-man practice squads starting in the 2021-22 season. Most players will likely receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The 12-player limit will likely be lifted after one season. In 2022-23, the NFL will mandate a 14-player practice squad.

We saw 16 players in practice squads during the 2020 season. Don’t be surprised if the league doesn’t continue this trend (12 players) or beyond (14).

Use Squad Rules

There are many rules to follow when creating and managing your practice team. This will ensure fairness, integrity and equality throughout the NFL’s season.

Practice squad players may be promoted to the 53-man roster at any moment, but the roster must still have an open spot — that is, they can only have 52 players at the time. They must release players, send them to practice squad or to the injured reserve if the roster is full.

These are the most important rules to remember when you’re practicing with your practice squad.

• The practice squad players can’t play in games and they don’t count towards 53-man rosters. They also don’t count towards a team’s salary cap.
• However, practice squad players can still be seen practicing with the team (including the 53 man roster).
• Any team can let anyone from their practice squad at any time. Their salary isn’t guaranteed so they don’t owe any salary for the rest of the season.
• An NFL team cannot steal a practice team player from another NFL team if the player is being signed to the 53-man roster of that other team.
• An NFL team cannot sign a player from another practice squad onto their practice squad unless the player has been released by the previous team.
• A practice squad player must sign with the upcoming opponent’s team no less than six days prior to the game or 10 days after a bye week.
• A practice squad player from an NFL team is signed onto the 53-man roster. The player receives a minimum three-week salary and counts towards the 53-man roster for at least three weeks.
• If a player from practice squad is released after being in the league for less that four years, he or she must first clear waiver wire before signing with another club.

The waiver wire system is unique in that it allows struggling teams to add young players to their practice squad or roster before other teams. The worst team is given priority. The best team is last.

Teams have 24 hours to claim a player once he or she has entered the wire. The manager with the highest priority will be granted the rights to the player at the end of each day. The player can sign with any team they want, even if they are not part of a team that claims them.

Practice Squad Eligibility

You may be wondering about the eligibility requirements for signing with an NFL team’s practice roster.

The 16-player practice squad is no longer in force. Teams will now be allowed to have 12 players in their practice squad. Only two of those 12 players are veterans with an unlimited amount of seasons in the league.

The NFL will allow 14 players to join the practice squad starting with the 2022-23 football season. Only four of those 14 players can be veterans with an unlimited amount of accrued season. An accrued season is a season in which a player has played at least six regular season games with the team.

Here are the eligibility requirements of each NFL team for the 10 remaining players on the practice squad:

• Rookies with zero seasons accrued in the league (normally players who were just drafted).
• Players who have played less than nine regular-season games for their team in an accrued season.
• A player can only have two seasons in the league. There are no limits on how many games they’ve played. Teams can only allow four players.

A player who falls within one of these three categories is eligible to be signed to a team practice squad. Remember that teams can only have two veterans and four players who have played in at least two league seasons. The majority of practice squads will be made up of players who fall within the first two bullet points.

FAQ

Are Superbowl rings given to Practice Squad players?

The NFL covers the cost of Super Bowl rings. Teams are limited in the number of Super Bowl rings they can give out after winning. Although practice squad players usually get one, it is often not as costly as the rings given to active roster and non-active players. It doesn’t have to look identical.

Is the Practice Squad allowed to travel with the team?

A player who is signed to the practice team is fully expected to practice at the facility with the team. They can’t travel with the team, or be on the sidelines, if they aren’t promoted to the 53-man roster. They will travel with the team only if they are promoted to the 53-man roster.