NFL practice squad players’ salaries and roster rules explained
The National Football League season brings changes to rosters, including the addition of practice squad players after preseason roster cuts. These squads offer teams depth and flexibility, allowing coaches to adjust lineups as needed.
Practice squad player compensation is based on experience. In 2025, those with two or fewer years in the league will earn $13,000 per week, according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. This amount is scheduled to rise each year through 2030. For veterans—players with more than two years of experience—the weekly salary can be negotiated within a set range: $17,500 to $22,000 in 2025, with increases specified in future years under the current agreement.
The origins of the practice squad date back to 1946, when Cleveland Browns head coach Paul Brown first established an unofficial version. Four years later, it became an official part of every franchise’s operations. The size of squads has evolved over time: from five players in 1993 (set by the Collective Bargaining Agreement), to 10 in April 2004, then increasing to 16 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025, rosters will include up to 17 players. One must be a member of the NFL’s International Pathway Program; at least 10 should have no more than two years’ experience.
Teams may protect four players each week from being signed by other franchises but can only promote a practice squad player twice before they are required to sign that player to an active contract.
Eligibility for joining a team’s practice squad excludes rookies and players who have appeared on the active list for fewer than nine regular-season games during their lone accrued season. When promoted on game days, these players count towards each team’s required 48-player limit.
Under league rules, only two practice-squad members can be elevated for one game at a time and any individual can only be elevated three times before they must be formally added to the active roster.
The structure of NFL practice squads continues to evolve as teams adapt strategies for depth and player development ahead of each season.
