How much do NFL practice squad players make a year? Salary and contract details
The new NFL season kicks off on 5 September with the Chiefs the team to beat and Ravens and 49ers strong contenders to dethrone them.
With the end of NFL preseason and the countdown to week 1 action of the 2024-25 campaign, NFL teams are in the process of fine tuning which players will make the 53 man rosters.
🚨 REMINDER: Deadline for NFL teams to confirm their 53-man rosters is at 9pm bst TODAY! 🏈
— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) August 27, 2024
As of 4pm ET today, all NFL teams need to confirm their 53-man rosters (cutting back from 90 players) and this deadline means that there will be a flurry of activity as teams make their final decisions, and many players will be placed on waivers or signed to practice squads.
For those players failing to make the cut, they will continue to participate with the 17 man practice squads and will be looking to impress should a future opportunity arise.
The next few days are the toughest days of the NFL calendar for players, coaches, executives, etc.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 25, 2024
All teams have to go down from 90 players to 53, meaning 1,184 players will be told they won't make the roster.
About 500 will be brought back on practice squads, but for the… pic.twitter.com/X0jmwqrPus
NFL practice squad salaries
Rookie practice players can earn anything from a basic average of €12,000 per week with the top scale available at around $21,000 (weekly) based on longevity with the team in question.
Related stories
Other NFL teams can sign other teams’ practice squad players if they are being signed to the 53-man roster but practice players are not allowed to sign onto another team’s practice squad unless they are officially released.
The @Saints new locker room is a vibe! 🪩 pic.twitter.com/vKEVeH1Lza
— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) August 24, 2024
Practice squad players have the incentive of impressing too as they are eligible to play in games, but must be added to a teams game day roster. NFL teams can elevate practice squad players for on game days to increase their roster to 55 players, but only 48 players can participate in a game. That means seven players must be declared inactive.