NFL roster designations: What do PUP, IR and NFI mean?

NFL front offices have until 4pm ET on Tuesday, August 27 to submit their 53-player active rosters for the new season. Today the training camp group of up to 90 players has to be whittled down, leaving coaches with a more manageable number to begin the 2024/25 campaign.

When browsing the teams’ squad lists you may notice that some players are given a ‘roster designation’ alongside their name. These spots usually mean that the player in question is unable to play for some reason, meaning that he does not use up one of the 53 roster places.

Here’s a closer look at the NFL roster designations...

What does IR mean on NFL roster lists?

Probably the most common of the NFL designations, IR stands for ‘injured reserve’. Players on the injured reserve list are unavailable due to a football-related injury and are expected to miss a minimum of four games.

Teams can include up to eight players on the IR list during the regular season and up to ten during the post-season. When a player leaves the IR list and is fit to return to practice, they must be reinstated to the active roster or be played on the season-sending injury list within 21 days.

Players on the IR list are not included in the active roster, meaning that they don’t count towards the 53-man limit. Their salaries, however, do count against the salary cap.

What is the PUP NFL roster designation?

The PUP list is made up of players who are ‘physically unable to perform’ at the start of the training camp. These players have football-related injuries - like those on the IR list - but PUP designations do count towards the active roster limit.

Players cannot be placed on the PUP list once they have completed one practice or played in a preseason game. They can be moved to the reserve/PUP list during roster cutdown and won’t count against the active roster limit. They will, however, be forced to sit out the first four games of the season.

What does the NFI roster designation mean?

In rare instances where players are injured outside of their NFL commitments, they can be added to the ‘non-football/illness’ list. This designation can be used for those who suffer injuries during the offseason or long-term illnesses, for example.

Any player still on NFI after the final roster cut-down will be shifted to the reserve/NFI list. Again, they won’t count towards the roster number but they will have to sit out the first four games.

Finally, the reserve/suspended list can be used for players who have been subject to a league-imposed suspension for breaking NFL rules. These players will not count towards the team’s roster limit for the duration of their ban.