What Does PUP Mean in the NFL?

If you’re a fan of the NFL, you’ve probably heard the term “PUP” thrown around a lot. But what does it actually mean? PUP stands for “Physically Unable to Perform.” It’s a designation given to players who aren’t able to take part in practice or play in games due to an injury or illness.

PUP Definition

PUP is an abbreviation for “Physically Unable to Perform.” This list is for players who, due to injury or illness, will be unable to take part in training camp or play in preseason games. During the preseason, these players can be placed on the PUP list at any time.

Physically Unable to Perform

In the National Football League, “Physically Unable to Perform” (PUP) is a designation given to players who are not physically able to take part in practice or play in games. These players may be dealing with an injury, illness, or another issue that prevents them from being able to participate fully.

Players who are placed on the PUP list at the start of the season are not eligible to play or practice until they are activated by the team. Once a player is activated, they have a three-week window during which they can practice with the team before a decision must be made on whether or not to put them on the active roster or keep them on the PUP list for the rest of the season.

If a player is still deemed physically unable to perform after that three-week window, they must either be placed on injured reserve (IR) for the rest of the season or released by the team.

Non-Football Injury

A player on the Active/Injured list (formerly referred to as the Reserve/Injured list) is someone who sustained an injury that occurred away from football activities. These types of injuries can include: car accidents, slip and falls, injuries that occur during recreational activities, etc. Essentially, any non-football related injury would fall into this category. If a player is placed on the Active/Injured list, they are ineligible to return to practice or play for the remainder of the season, but they do count towards the team’s 90-man roster limit.

PUP List

The PUP list is for players who are injured and are not ready to play at the start of the season. These players can be brought back at any time during the season, but they must sit out at least the first six weeks.

In-Season

Players who are on the PUP list at the start of the regular season have to sit out at least the first six weeks of the season. After six weeks, they can begin practicing again but they have a three-week window to be activated to the 53-man roster. If they’re not activated within that three-week window, they’re automatically placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season and are ineligible to play.

Preseason

The PUP list is a designation used by the National Football League (NFL) for players who are physically unable to perform. These players are not allowed to practice with the team or participate in any game activities.

Players may be placed on the PUP list at any time during the preseason, regular season, or even playoffs. If a player is placed on the PUP list during the preseason, they are not eligible to be activated until after week 6 of the regular season.

The most common reasons for a player to be placed on the PUP list are due to injuries, recovery from surgery, or offseason conditioning.

PUP Rules

The PUP list is for players who are physically unable to perform (PUP). These players can’t practice or play in games until they are removed from the PUP list. Teams can put players on the PUP list before the start of the regular season or at any point during the season.

In-Season

Once the PUP list was created, it initially could only be used before the start of the regular season. Players who were placed on it at that time had to miss at least six weeks of the season before they could be activated. In 2012, that rule was changed; players now must miss only the first three weeks of the season before they can return.

Preseason

In the NFL, PUP stands for the Physically Unable to Perform list. A player who is on the PUP list cannot practice or play in games. He may, however, attend team meetings and work out at the team facility. Players can be placed on the PUP list at any time during the offseason or preseason. They can also be removed from the PUP list at any time and begin practicing with the team.

The most common reason for a player to be placed on the PUP list is an injury that occurred during the offseason or preseason. Other reasons include illness or personal reasons. A player who is placed on the PUP list at the start of training camp is not eligible to be activated until six weeks into the regular season.

PUP Benefits

The NFL’s PUP list is a designation given to certain players who are injured and cannot participate in practice or play. These players remain on the list until they are cleared to return by team doctors. Once a player is cleared, he is eligible to return to practice and play in games.

In-Season

Players on PUP have three viable options once they’re healthy and eligible to return to practice. They can:
– Be activated to the 53-man roster
– Be transferred to season-ending IR
– Remain on PUP for the rest of the season

The most common scenario is for a player to be activated off PUP at some point during the season. In this case, the team has until Week 11 to make a decision on whether to activate the player or keep him on PUP for the remainder of the season. If a player is not activated by Week 11, he must be placed on IR for the rest of the year.

Preseason

During the preseason, teams are allowed to have 90 players on their rosters. These players include rookies, first-year players, and veterans. Veterans are typically only required to play in two of the four preseason games. The preseason is used as a time for coaches to evaluate rookies and first-year players. It is also used as a time for players to knock the rust off before the regular season starts.

Preseason games do not count towards a team’s regular season record. However, teams do charge for tickets and generate revenue from concessions and merchandise sales. The NFL also charges television networks for the right to broadcast preseason games.