NFL players who became casualties of the roster cutdown deadline can continue their careers in two ways.
First, other teams can claim them off the waiver wire once the 53-men active roster has been finalized.
The waiver priority mirrors the first-round order of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Second, they can hope to be included in a practice squad, essentially a reserve pool.
Pro Football Focus writer Ari Meirov shared some important details about practice squads.
Teams will fill out practice squads starting today.
Here's how it works this season…
– 16 players.
– Up to 10 players with 2 or less accrued seasons.
– Up to 6 veterans (no limit how many years in league)
– Practice squad player may be elevated for gameday a max of 3 times.— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 31, 2022
He shared that an NFL team can get as many as 16 players, ten of which have two accrued seasons at most.
Meanwhile, the other six are veterans, regardless of their tenure.
Practice squad players could become a part of the active roster up to three times in a season.
Spotrac also shared that the weekly salary for veterans ranges from $15,400 to $19,900.
The salaries are not guaranteed, but they count against the salary cap.
Practice squad members also get a salary of at least 18 weeks or the entire regular season.
Practice Squad Success Stories
Some NFL players started in the practice squad before building productive careers.
Malcolm Floyd, James Harrison, and Rod Smith also spent time on the practice squad.
Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner also had his stint there before leading two franchises to Super Bowl stints.
Arian Foster and Cameron Wake paid their dues there as well.
Therefore, being with the practice squad keeps their opportunity open.
It’s up to these players if they will make the most of it in hopes of attracting an offer from another squad.
