
The NFL preseason is over. Every team wrapped up their preseason schedule last weekend, and now they turn their attention to Week 1 of the regular season.
There’s a week-long break between the preseason and the start of the regular season, but teams aren’t fully off during that time. Front offices will be putting in late nights because they have to trim their 90-man preseason rosters down to 53 players. Then, once all teams are at 53 players, each franchise will be able to fill out its practice squad for the start of the season.
The NFL has tweaked its practice squad rules over the years. For 2025, teams will be able to carry 16 or 17 players. The addition of the extra player is if that franchise adds a player from the International Player Program to their practice squad. NFL teams can have up to 10 players that have “no or limited accrued seasons” which means less than two seasons in the NFL. Franchises can then fill their remaining spots with six veteran players.
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Here is an updated list of the practice squad signings from around the NFL.
NFL practice squad signings: 2025 rosters for all 32 teams
NFL rosters must be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 26. Players who are waiver eligible will go through the waiver process at noon EDT Wednesday, Aug. 27. After that, teams can begin filling out their practice squads.
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Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
- CB Cobee Bryant
- OT Carter Warren
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
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Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
- WR Malachi Corley
- OG Cole Strange
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Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
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Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
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Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
- S Tony Jefferson
- G Branson Taylor
- QB DJ Uiagalelei
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
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Minnesota Vikings
- LB Gabriel Murphy
- RB Xazavian Valladay
New England Patriots
- QB Tommy DeVito
- LB Bradyn Swinson
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
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New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
- DL Kyler Baugh
- DB Beanie Bishop
- DB Sebastian Castro
- OL Dylan Cook
- TE JJ Galbreath
- WR Max Hurleman
- OL Steven Jones
- DB D’Shawn Jamison
- DL DeMarvin Leal
- RB Lew Nichols
- DB James Pierre
- DB Daryl Porter
- RB Trey Sermon
- LB Julius Welschof
- WR Ke’Shawn Williams
- WR Robert Woods
San Francisco 49ers
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Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders
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How much are NFL practice squad players paid?
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. 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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How many players are on an NFL practice squad?
There are 17 total spots on an NFL team’s practice squad, but that number comes with some stipulations. Of those 17 players, only 16 are NFL-eligible, while one player can be part of the International Player Pathway program. In general, 10 players can have less than two years of NFL service time, while six spots can be used for veteran players with more than two years of experience in the NFL. However, there are further stipulations on player eligibility.
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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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Can NFL practice squad players play in games?
Each week, teams can elevate two players from the practice squad to the active roster. However, a player can only be elevated twice; after that, he must be signed to the 53-man roster in order to play. Quarterbacks, however, act as an exception. A practice-squad QB can be designated as the team’s “emergency third quarterback” for the season.
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Can practice squad players sign with other teams?
Practice-squad players are eligible to sign with another team at any time, as long as it is to that team’s 53-man roster. Teams cannot sign players directly from another club’s practice squad unless the player is first released. Each week, franchises are allowed to protect up to four practice-squad players, making them ineligible to sign elsewhere.
