NFL practice squad salaries: Minimum salary, eligibility rules and more to know for 2024

Most NFL players are hoping to land on 53-man rosters to start the NFL season. Not all of them will make it through cut day unscathed.

Each NFL team will have to trim their rosters from 90 men to 53 after Week 3 of the preseason. That will create an influx of players looking for roles in the NFL, and almost all of them will be practice squad candidates.

Practice squad players may not be heralded, but they are a key part of each NFL organization. They typically play key roles in weekly practices — whether participating on the scout team or in actual defensive drills — and are usually the first line of depth and reinforcements when players get injured.

How exactly do practice squads operate? They aren't as glamorous as actual NFL roster spots, but they come with certain benefits of which both NFL veterans an newcomers can take advantage.

Here's what to know about the NFL's practice squad rules for 2024, including the size of the squads and how much each player is paid.

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How many players are on an NFL practice squad?

Beginning in 2024, NFL teams are allowed to carry 17 players on their practice squads — provided that one of the players is a member of the NFL's International Pathway Program (IPP).

This marks the second expansion of practice squad limits since 2020. The size limit used to be 10 but was expanded to 16 in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, the NFL provided teams an exemption to acquire a 17th practice squad player if an international player didn't make a team's 53-man roster, cleared waivers and was a part of the IPP.  Those players weren't eligible to be signed or elevated to the active roster if they did not make it out of training camp.

Now, the 17th player is eligible to be elevated to the team's active roster a maximum of three times during the current NFL season before needing to sign to the 53-man roster to continue playing.

Who is eligible for an NFL practice squad?

Any player is eligible to sign to an NFL practice squad, but the NFL has certain restrictions in place to ensure the practice squad remains a place to develop young talent.

Of the 17 practice squad players, 10 must have two or fewer accrued NFL seasons. The other six do not have any limitations and are characterized as "veterans." And one player must be a part of the NFL's International Pathway Program if a team wants to carry 17 players.

The qualifications for the practice squad are as follows:

• Players who do not have an accrued season of NFL experience (rookies);
• Players who were on the active list for fewer than nine regular-season games during their only accrued season(s);
• Up to four players per team who have earned no more than two accrued seasons (no game limitations);
• Up to six players per team with no limitations as to their number of earned accrued seasons;
• At least one player who is a member of the NFL's International Pathway Program (IPP).

Teams are allowed to protect up to four players on the practice squad each week. Other teams cannot sign these protected players.

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Can NFL practice squad players play in games?

Yes, practice squad players can play in games. They must be added to a team's game-day roster for that to happen.

NFL clubs can elevate up to two practice squad players on game day to expand their roster to 55 players. Seven players must be designated as inactive, which leaves 48 players to participate in the contest.

After the game ends, the elevated players revert back to the practice squad. Players can only be elevated three times in one season. After that, the team must sign them to the active roster if they wish to have them play in more games.

Can practice squad players sign with other teams?

Yes, practice squad players can sign with other teams. The only stipulation is that they must sign onto another team's 53-man roster to make the move. They cannot jump from one practice squad to another unless they are waived or released.

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NFL practice squad salaries

The NFL has two separate brackets that it uses to determine the salaries of practice squad players.

Players with two or fewer seasons in the NFL are paid weekly at a fixed rate. That salary is set at $12,500 for the 2024 NFL season but will increase for the duration of the league's current CBA, which runs through the 2030 season.

The other bracket is for NFL veterans with three or more accrued seasons. Unlike the younger practice squad signees, they do not have a set salary. They are able to negotiate their payments within a predetermined range.

The minimum weekly salary for a vet on the practice squad in 2024 is $16,800, while the maximum is $21,300.