What Does an NFL Practice Squad Player Make?
Contents
NFL practice squad players make a minimum of $8,000 per week during the regular season.
Introduction
An NFL practice squad player generally makes a salary of $8,000 to $10,000 per week that is paid out over the course of the 17-week regular season. Players on the practice squad do not receive any benefits, such as health insurance or a pension.
What is an NFL Practice Squad Player?
An NFL practice squad, most commonly referred to as the “taxi squad,” is a developmental unit composed of up to 10 players. These are players that are not active on game days, but practices with the team throughout the week and is typically composed of younger players or players that were recently signed by the team. While on the practice squad, players do not take part in any game-day activities, but they are able to travel with the team and attend team meetings.
The practice squad allows teams to develop talent and gives players an opportunity to be exposed to NFL coaching, playbook schemes, and strength and conditioning programs. In some cases, a practice squad player may be signed by another team; however, they must first be released from their current team’s practice squad. If a player on the practice squad is signed by another club, that club must pay the player an amount equal to at least three weeks of his regular salary for that season.
How Much Do They Make?
Practice squad players make a minimum of $8,000 per week during the 17-week regular season, which comes out to $136,000 over the course of the season. That’s not too shabby for what is essentially a part-time job. However, it should be noted that these players are not under contract and can be cut at any time without being owed any money.
What are the Benefits?
Players on an NFL practice squad are paid a minimum of $8,000 per week during the 17-week regular season, which comes out to $136,000 over the course of the season. That is not a bad salary for many people, but it is important to keep in mind that these players are not on the active roster and are not paid during the offseason.
What are the Drawbacks?
The biggest downside to being a practice squad player is, of course, the pay. While exact salaries vary from team to team and year to year, the league minimum for a practice squad player is just $6,900 for the 2017 season, per Spotrac. And that’s just for the three-month regular season. If a practice squad player is still on the team’s roster during the postseason, he receives an additional payment of $24,000.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is that while NFL practice squad salaries have increased in recent years, they still pale in comparison to the salaries of players on active rosters. In order to make a living wage, many practice squad players supplement their incomes with money earned from endorsement deals or by working other jobs during the offseason.
