Every NFL team carries a second roster that almost never appears on television. It is the reason a team can lose a starter on Sunday and field a competent replacement the following week — and it is far better paid than the name suggests.
What It Actually Is
The practice squad sits outside the 53-man active roster. These players:
- Practise with the team every week, including running the opponent’s plays in scout-team work
- Are not on the game-day active roster unless they are elevated or signed up
- Are paid weekly, on a separate scale from rostered players
The Pay
| Tier | Per week (2026) |
|---|---|
| Standard minimum | $13,750 |
| More than two accrued seasons | $18,350 |
| Maximum | $22,850 |
Now hold that against the other number: during training camp, a rostered veteran receives a per diem of $3,500 a week, and a first-year player $2,000.
So a practice squad player in the regular season earns roughly four to six times what a player on the actual 53-man roster is paid in July. The pay follows the season, not the status — a distinction our breakdown of NFL game checks covers in full.
How Players Get There
The practice squad is built in the hours after the August 30 cutdown:
- Teams cut from 90 to 53.
- Players with fewer than four accrued seasons go on waivers; any team can claim them.
- Players who clear waivers become free to sign anywhere — and are frequently signed straight back to the practice squad of the team that just released them.
That last step is why being cut is not necessarily the end of a season. For many players it is a change of contract, not a change of building.
The Part That Creates Drama
Practice squad players are not exclusive to their team in the way rostered players are. Another club can sign a practice squad player to its active roster — and the original team cannot simply refuse. It can only respond by promoting the player itself.
This is why a quarterback quietly developing on one team’s practice squad can be starting elsewhere within a fortnight, and why teams protect a handful of practice squad players each week.
Why It Exists
Fifty-three players cannot cover a full season of injuries in the most physically punishing league in American sport. The practice squad is the depth chart nobody publishes: players who already know the playbook, the terminology and the coaches, available immediately. When a starter goes down in Week 9, the replacement has usually been in that building since August.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the NFL practice squad?
A group of players kept beyond the 53-man roster who train with the team weekly but are not on the active game-day roster.
How much do practice squad players make?
$13,750 a week minimum in 2026, $18,350 with more than two accrued seasons, up to $22,850.
Is that more than camp pay?
Yes — a rostered veteran gets $3,500 a week during training camp, so practice squad weekly pay is several times higher.
When is the practice squad formed?
Immediately after the August 30 cutdown, once released players clear waivers.
Can another team sign a practice squad player?
Yes — to its active roster. The original team can only respond by promoting the player first.
Pay scales and roster rules per the NFL collective bargaining agreement and reporting by BetMGM, Yahoo Sports and Pro Football Network, 2026. Photo: NFL players during a training camp practice, via Wikimedia Commons.
