How Much Do NFL Practice Squad Players Make? Current Salary Breakdown

The majority of NFL teams kicked off training camp this week, and saw 90 players report to their camps. By the end of camp, the active roster will be whittled down to 53. As for the rest of the 37 players in attendance at camp? Some will be cut, some will be traded and some will be signed to the practice squad.

Every team has a practice squad in addition to its active roster, but what exactly is the practice squad? Here’s a breakdown of what the practice squad is and how much players on it make.

What Exactly Is the NFL Practice Squad?

The practice squad is a group of players on an NFL team that are not part of the 53-man roster. The practice squad practices with the team, but are not active to dress on game days. They can be elevated to play in a game twice times during the season, but if a team wants to utilize a practice squad player in more than two games, they must activate them to the 53-man roster.

Currently, a practice squad can carry up to 17 players, though if a team fills all 17 slots, one of those must go to an international pathway player. Ten of the 16 other players must either be a rookie or second-year player. Their is no limit on how much experience the other six players have.

The number of spots on the practice squad has risen significantly as of late. Per ESPN, from 2014-19, practice squads were limited to 10 players. That number skyrocketed to 16 players in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a numerous players miss time after testing positive for the virus.

How Much NFL Practice Squad Players Make (Base Salary Breakdown)

In 2026, players on the practice squad with two or fewer years of service will make a weekly salary of $13,750. Over an 18-week season, this translates to a salary of $247,500—that is, if a player stays on a team for the entire year. Players with two or more years of service time can receive a minimum salary of $18,350 per week or a maximum of $22,850 per week. These salaries would translate to $330,300 and $411,300 over an entire season.

Under the current collective bargaining agreement, the weekly rate goes up every season. In 2025, players with two or fewer years of service earned $13,000 each week while those with two or more years of service received a minimum of $17,500 or the maximum of $22,000. In 2027, the weekly pay will go up to $14,500 for players with two or fewer years of service. For those with more, the minimum will rise to $19,200 and the maximum will go up to $23,700.

This is all a significant rise from the beginning of the decade and CBA in 2020, when practice squad players made $8,400 per week or $12,000 per week.

How Elevations to the Active Roster Affect Payment

When a player is elevated to the active roster for a game, he receives a raise in pay for that week. Per the CBA via Over the Cap, if a practice squad player gets elevated to the active roster for a regular season game, his pay that week will be 1/17th of the minimum salary for players on the active roster with the same number of credited seasons.

In 2026, the veteran minimum’s salary ranges from $885,000 to $1.3 million, depending on how many seasons a player has played. The veteran minimum for a player with two credited seasons is $1,075,000, so a practice squad player with the same amount of credited seasons would earn about $63,234 if they were elevated to the active roster for a game.

Guaranteed Money, Incentives & Additional Pay

Practice squad players do not get guaranteed salaries or signing bonuses, per ESPN. They will receive their weekly salary for however many weeks they are with a team, but there is little long-term security.

While practice squad players don’t get guaranteed contracts or bonuses, some teams pay members of their practice squad the maximum weekly salary or closer to it to help keep them around.

For practice squad players on a team that makes the playoffs, they will continue to earn their weekly salary, unless they are elevated to the active roster. If a practice squad player is elevated for a postseason game, he will earn the rate of money for postseason play. For example, winners of the conference championship game in 2025 received $81,000.

Benefits for NFL Practice Squad Players

Players on the practice squad are entitled to several benefits including medical, dental, vision and life insurance. Additionally they can receive a 401K and disability plan. Teams are not required to pay for a practice squad player’s housing, but per the CBA, must make their “best efforts” to help provide a player with housing at the player’s expense.

Practice squad players have the same access to team facilities and meals as active players. and They also travel for games, but simply do not dress for them unless they are elevated to the roster for game day.

Contract Rules & Restrictions

Players on the practice squad are free to sign and negotiate with other teams. If a practice squad player leaves for another team, they can only go to join the active roster. Practice squad players cannot be traded.

As noted above, practice squad players can only be elevated to the active roster twice in one season. If they are elevated a third time, they must be promoted to the active roster.

How NFL Practice Squad Pay Compares to Other Football Leagues

Practice squad players can still make significantly more than players from other leagues, particularly the UFL. If a practice squad player with less than two years of experience is on a roster for all 18 weeks in 2026, they could make $247,500. Veterans could make between $330,300 to a maximum of $411,300. Per ESPN, the salary for UFL players that took part in all ten games in 2026 was $64,000, well below the total salary of practice squad players—and especially those that get elevated for at least one game.

They, however, do not necessarily make more than the 10 highest-paid Canadian Football League players, who according to 3DownNation, make between $300,000 to $700,000. Practice squad players still typically make more than many CFL players, but not all of them.

Common Misconceptions About NFL Practice Squad Salaries

While practice squad positions are often viewed as temporary ones, some players now spend multiple seasons on a team’s practice squad. It used to be that players could not spend that long on one practice squad, but it is now possible amid the growth of the squad to 17 players. Players still get cut, switch teams and/or elevated to the active roster, but some do last a significant time on the practice squad.

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