Windy City Gridiron
The Bears have made some more moves to the practice squad.
On October 29, the Chicago Bears signed OL Austen Pleasants to the practice squad and released long snapper Jake McQuaide from the practice squad.
This is sure to change throughout the season, so we’ll update accordingly.
Here’s a run down on the important rules to remember regarding the 16-man practice squad:
Up to six players on the practice squad can have more than two accrued years of service in the league, with the remaining spots filled by players with less than two accrued years of service. A seventeenth player can be added this season if he is a qualifying international player. To qualify, a player needs to have his citizenship and principal place of residence outside the United States and Canada, with a max of two years of United States high school experience. International players can be elevated in the same manner as other practice squadders.
Teams can elevate up to two practice squad players for each game, but they can still only have 48 players active on game day. After the game the elevated player(s) will revert to the practice squad. A player can be elevated up to three times, but a fourth would require him to be signed to the 53-man active roster.
Players on practice squads are essentially free agents who can be signed to another team’s active roster. If a player is signed away, his new team must keep him on their 53-man roster for three weeks, but if he’s released, he’ll revert to his previous team. Players signed to another active roster are also guaranteed three weeks’ salary.
A player’s current club can not prevent him from leaving; they can only make a counteroffer to keep him. Ultimately, it’s the player's choice where he signs.
A practice squad player can’t sign with his team’s upcoming opponent unless he does so six days before the upcoming game or ten days prior if his team is on its bye week.
