As NFL training camp comes to a close, teams must decide which players deserve a spot on their 53-man roster and which players will find their way on the practice squads.
Practice squad players play crucial roles during the NFL season, as they give teams extra players to develop and with which to practice throughout the year. These players sometimes end up playing in key games, while others spend the season just developing during practice.
Therefore, players on practice squads have unique rules regarding their pay, how they are used and even if they are allowed on practice squads in the first place. Here’s a look at the practice squad rules the NFL has in place for the 2025 season and beyond.
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How many players are on an NFL practice squad?
There are 17 eligible spots on an NFL team’s practice squad, but that number comes with some stipulations. Of those 17 players, only 16 players are NFL-eligible, while one player can be part of the International Player Pathway program.
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Who is eligible for an NFL practice squad?
Not all NFL players are eligible to make an NFL practice squad to make sure that teams don’t take advantage of the rules. Of the 16 players NFL-eligible players on a practice squad, 10 must have accrued less than two seasons in the NFL, leaving six spots open for veteran players.
The full list of practice squad qualifications include:
- Rookies, or players who have not accrued one season of NFL experience
- Any player who was not active for more nine regular-season games or more during their accrued seasons
- A maximum of four players who earned no more than two accrued NFL seasons
- Six players who’ve earned more than two accrued NFL seasons.
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NFL practice squad salaries
There are two kinds of NFL practice squad salaries depending on a player’s service time. First, players who have played in two-or-less NFL season get paid a fixed weekly rate for their time on the practice squad. According to the CBA, that number is set to steadily increase over the next six seasons.
| Season | Standard |
| 2025 | $13,000 |
| 2026 | $13,750 |
| 2027 | $14,500 |
| 2028 | $15,250 |
| 2029 | $16,000 |
| 2030 | $16,750 |
Additionally, practice squad players who have played in at least two NFL seasons get the chance to negotiate their own salaries with a set minimum and maximum allowed. Like the fixed salaries, the minimum and maximum salaries will slowly increase through the 2030 season.
| Season | Minimum | Maximum |
| 2025 | $17,500 | $22,000 |
| 2026 | $18,350 | $22,850 |
| 2027 | $19,200 | $23,700 |
| 2028 | $20,050 | $24,550 |
| 2029 | $20,900 | $21,750 |
| 2030 | $25,400 | $26,250 |
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Can practice squad players sign with other teams?
Practice squad players are eligible to sign with other teams as long as they sign to that team’s 53-man roster. Teams are not allowed to sign practice-squad players to their own practice squads unless they are released by their former team.
Every week, teams are allowed to protect up. to four practice squad players who are then ineligible to sign with another team.
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Can NFL practice squad players play in games?
Each week, teams are eligible to elevate two players to play in that week’s game. However, each player can only be elevated off the practice squad twice, at which point the player must be added to the 53-man roster in order to play in a game.
