Who is eligible for a spot on the practice squad?
Each team can keep 10 players on its practice squad. Eight teams are allowed an 11th player as part of the league’s International Player Development Program.
Up to four of those 10 players can have two accrued NFL seasons. So, was a player on the 53-man roster for at least six games of two NFL seasons? Sorry, they’re out of luck.
It used to be that three weeks of an NFL season spent on a practice squad counted as one full season of practice squad eligibility. Now, that number has been increased to six weeks, which expands some players’ eligibility.
A player can spend no more than three seasons on any practice squad.
How are practice squad players compensated?
Practice squad players must be paid at least $7,600 per week for the 2018 season. If a player is on a team’s practice squad for the entire regular season, that amounts to $129,200 for the year.
Teams can pay practice squad players as much as they’d like. They’re not limited to that minimum, and practice squad salaries do count toward the cap. Most teams tend to pay salaries closer to the minimum, though.
If a practice squad player is signed to another team’s active roster, they will receive a minimum of three game checks, no matter how long they remain on that active roster. They can be cut after a week, but they’re still getting three game checks.