What you need to know about the Jets’ practice squad

Starting today, the Jets will sign members of their practice squad. Here are the answers to the most likely questions you have.

What is the practice squad?

You probably will not be surprised to hear that it is exactly what the name makes it sound like. The Jets and other NFL teams are allowed to have up to 17 players who are not part of the 53 man roster but are allowed to practice with the team.

Why does the practice squad exist?

There are two primary reasons. First it gives teams a chance to develop young players who aren’t good enough to be on the 53 man roster. It also gives the team a reserve of players whom already know the playbook to call upon if an injury opens up a roster spot.

Who is eligible for the practice squad?

Any player who is a free agent may sign on the practice squad. Formerly to be eligible, a player needed to have less than two years of experience. Those restrictions have been loosened through the years. Now anybody can be on the practice squad. The caveat is that 10 of the 17 slots still must be used on players with less than two years of experience. Six spots can be used on players with no eligibility restrictions. The final spot must be used on an international player.

Can practice squad players be activated for gameday?

The answer is yes. This is a recent change. Until a few years back, a player needed to be on the 53 man roster to become one of the 48 players active on gameday. Now teams are allowed to activate up to two players per game from the practice squad without putting them on the 53 man roster. There is a caveat. A player cannot be activated more than twice from the practice squad in a season. The third time it happens, a player must be elevated to the active roster.

How much do practice squad players make?

Players with two years or less of experience get $13,000 per week.

Players with more than two years of experience get a minimum of $17,500 per week and a maximum of $22,000 per week.

For a rookie, that’s a salary of $234,000 for the season, but the league minimum salary for a rookie on the active roster is $840,000. You can probably see why a roster spot is so coveted.

Can the Jets only sign players who spent training camp with them to the practice squad?

No, the Jets are allowed to sign any free agent to their practice squad. They can sign players who were in Jets camp, in camp with another team, or who were not at any NFL training camp.

Is there anything else to know?

Practice squad players live in limbo. They are practicing with a specific team and can be called up for game duty. However, they are also technically free agents. A practice...