The Washington Commanders have to trim their roster down to 53 players by 4 pm today. The roster cuts will start before then, and many of those players will be signed to the team’s 17-man practice squad. Every team has to trim down from 90 or 91 players,
16 player squads
Practice squads were limited to 10 players in 2019, but that was set to change with the new CBA signed in 2020. The number was going to 12 players for 2 years, and then was going to be increased to 14 players in 2022. That all changed when the uncertainty
of COVID-19 hit, and the league increased practice squads to 16 players, which will once again be the limit in 2025.
International Player Pathway Program
Teams participating in the International Player Pathway(IPP) program can have 91-man rosters during the offseason. They can also have a 17th practice squad member for the season, but if signed to the practice squad, that player can’t be signed to the regular season roster; however, starting in 2024 he can be elevated for up to three games. If the player is kept on the 53-man roster, he is subject to waiver rules.
The Washington Commanders currently have DE T.J. Maguranyanga on the roster, and he is eligible to be signed to their practice squad as the 17th member if he is waived and clears waivers. He is unlikely to be part of the 53-man roster.
Practice squad players moving up to the main roster
Like the last two seasons, teams have more flexibility with using practice squad players on game day. PS players can be activated on game day before the team announces their inactives(90 minutes before game time). This can happen with up to two practice squad players per week, and the player doesn’t have to be elevated from the PS to the main roster for the move. Each practice squad player is now able to be elevated up to three times per season. To be activated a fourth time requires the player to be signed to the regular roster. During the playoffs, practice squad players have unlimited elevations.
This makes it easier for teams to have players they know and trust on game day, and also not have to subject them to waivers when they are signed to the main roster and cut to get back to the practice squad as was true in the past.
Veteran players
Another change is the eligibility requirements for veteran players. Previously teams could have up to 4 players who had two years of NFL experience. Now teams can have 6 veterans with no limit on the amount of accrued seasons they have in the league. A player must have been on full-play status for at least six regular-season games in a given season to gain an accrued season. This includes being on the active/inactive list, injured reserve or reserve PUP.
Weekly payment
Practice squad players make $13,000 per week or $234,000 for 18 weeks. Veteran players with over two years of experience make a minimum of $17,500 per week or $315,000 for 18 weeks, and a maximum of $25,000 per week or $450,000 for 18 weeks.
Signing with the practice squad
Teams must complete their roster cuts by Tuesday August 26th at 4 p.m. ET, meaning that almost 1,200 players will be released or placed on an injury list.
Teams have until Wednesday at noon to claim unvested players that have been waived.
Vested veterans (players with a minimum of 4 accrued seasons) become free agents immediately and are able to sign with any team.
Starting at 12:00 p.m. ET on August 27th, teams can begin signing players to their practice squads.
Practice squad basics
- Practice squad players practice with the team. They do not play in games, unless they are elevated (see above)
- Practice squad players are paid per week and can be released at any point during the season.
- Practice squad players are free to sign with other NFL team, but they have to be signed to the 53-man active roster of the acquiring team. A practice squad player cannot be signed to another practice squad unless he is first released or waived.
- A practice squad player cannot sign with his team’s upcoming opponent unless he does so six days before the upcoming game, or 10 days if his team is currently on a bye week.
- If a practice squad player is signed to the active roster, he will receive a minimum of three weekly paychecks, even if he is released before spending three weeks with the new team.
- In order to be signed to a practice squad after being released, a player who is not a vested veteran must first clear waivers, and is subject to waiver claims by other teams.
Waiver wire
The Washington Commanders had the No. 29 overall pick in this year’s draft, which means their chances of being awarded any “popular” player is pretty slim but not impossible, depending on the player. Here are the basics on waiver claims.
- The waiver order goes by original draft order not counting trades.
- Teams maintain their places on the waiver priority list through Week 3 of the regular season.
- After Week 3 the waiver priority order is determined by reverse order of wins.
- Teams don’t lose their spot on the priority list like in fantasy football.
- Teams can put in as many waiver claims as they want, and will be awarded the player(s) if they are the highest-ranked claiming team. Any player added through waivers will need a corresponding roster move to make room for him on the roster.
- The claiming team picks up the player’s contract, not including any signing bonuses that his original team already paid.
- Vested veterans(on an NFL roster for at least 6 games per season, for at least 4 seasons) aren’t subject to waivers until after the trade deadline, which will be after Week 9 this season.
- Players who are waived/injured, and not claimed on waivers, return to their team and are placed on injured reserve unless an injury settlement is made.
