Hogs Haven
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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
Practice squad players make $13,000 per week or...
