NFL Waivers: What They Are and How They Work
Contents
If you’re a fan of the NFL, you’ve probably heard of waivers. But what are they exactly, and how do they work? In this blog post, we’ll break down everything you need to know about NFL waivers.
What are NFL Waivers?
NFL Waivers are a process that allows teams to claim rights to players that are not currently on their roster. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but most often it occurs when a team wants to sign a player that is currently under contract with another team. In order to do so, they must first put in a waiver claim with the league, and if they are awarded the player, they will be required to pay that player’s salary.
Injured Reserve (IR)
Injured Reserve (IR) is a designation used in the National Football League (NFL) for a player who has been injured and thus is ineligible to play for a minimum of six weeks. A player may be placed on IR at any point during the season, but once he is placed on IR, he is ineligible to return to the active roster for the remainder of the season.
There are two types of IR:
1) Season-ending IR: A player is placed on season-ending IR if he is injured and will miss the remainder of the season. Once a player is placed on season-ending IR, he is ineligible to return to the active roster for the remainder of the season.
2) Injured reserve/designated for return: A player is placed on injured reserve/designated for return if he is injured and will miss at least eight weeks of the season. Once a player is placed on injured reserve/designated for return, he is eligible to return to the active roster after eight weeks.
Physically Unable to Perform (PUP)
The most common type of NFL waiver is the PUP waiver. This is used for players who are placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list at the start of training camp. These players are not able to practice with the team and are not eligible to play in preseason games.
If a player is still on the PUP list when the regular season starts, he can be waived by any team. If he is claimed by another team, he goes on that team’s PUP list and is not eligible to play for them until he is cleared by a doctor. If he is not claimed, he becomes a free agent and can sign with any team.
Players on the PUP list can be activated at any time during the season, but they must miss at least six weeks of the season before they can be activated.
How do Waivers Work?
Waivers are a process where teams can claim players who are not currently on a roster. When a player is waived, they are removed from their current team’s roster and become a free agent. Any team in the league can claim the player, but the claiming team must pay the player’s salary.
The Waiver Wire
In the National Football League, the waiver wire is a method used by NFL teams to acquire players that are not currently under contract with any team. When a player is waived, he is immediately placed on waivers for 24 hours. During that time, any team in the league may claim the player, and the team that submits the highest bid will be awarded the player. The waiver wire is typically used to claim players who have been cut by their previous team or to sign players from other leagues, such as the Canadian Football League (CFL) or Arena Football League (AFL).
Players who are on waivers are not eligible to play in games until they are claimed by a team. However, they may practice with their new team and appear in preseason games. If a player is not claimed within 24 hours, he becomes a free agent and is free to sign with any team in the league.
The waiver wire is also used to place players on injured reserve (IR), which prevents them from playing for the rest of the season but allows them to remain on their team’s roster. Players who are placed on IR must be signed by another team before they can play again.
The waiver wire can be a confusing process, but it’s an important part of how NFL teams build their rosters. By understanding how it works, you’ll be able to follow along as teams make moves to improve their roster throughout the season.
The Waiver Claim Process
Each NFL team has a 53-man roster. The remaining players are free agents who can sign with any team. If a team wants to sign a player who is not on their 53-man roster, they must put in a waiver claim.
The waiver claim process works as follows:
1. Teams submit their waiver requests to the NFL office by 4 p.m. ET on the day after the game in which the player was waived. For example, if a player is waived on Sunday, teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Monday to submit a waiver claim for that player.
2. The NFL office then uses a priority list to determine which team will be awarded the player. The priority list is based on the standings at the time of the waiver request (e.g., if two teams have identical records, the team with the worse record would get higher priority).
3. The team that is awarded the player will have 24 hours to make a decision on whether to sign him to their 53-man roster or release him back into free agency
What Happens if a Player is Claimed off Waivers?
If a player is claimed off waivers, the claiming team assumes the player’s contract. The player cannot be traded for a set period of time, depending on the league. In the NFL, a player must stay with his new team for a full season before he can be traded.
The Player is Awarded to the Claiming Team
Once a player is claimed off waivers, he is awarded to the claiming team. That team then assumes responsibility for the player’s contract, and the player joins that team’s active roster. If more than one team submits a waiver claim for the same player, the player is awarded to the team with the highest waiver priority.
The Player is Returned to His Previous Team
One of the biggest questions surrounding NFL free agency is what happens if a player is claimed off waivers. In short, the player is returned to his previous team and is no longer a free agent.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of how the waiver process works in the NFL:
1. A team can place a player on waivers at any time during the season.
2. Once a player is on waivers, he is eligible to be claimed by any other team in the league.
3. If more than one team submits a claim for the same player, the team with the worst record will be awarded the player.
4. If no team submits a claim for the player, he will become a free agent and can sign with any team of his choosing.
The waiver process can be complicated, but it’s important to understand how it works if you’re a fan of an NFL team.
What Happens if a Player is Not Claimed off Waivers?
If a player is not claimed off waivers, they become a free agent and can sign with any team. They are not locked into a contract with their previous team and can negotiate a new contract with any team. There are a few conditions that must be met in order for a player to be eligible for waivers, which we will get into later.
The Player is Awarded to the Claiming Team
If a player is not claimed off waivers, he is awarded to the claiming team. The claiming team is the team with the worst record in the league.
The Player is Returned to His Previous Team
If a player goes unclaimed after being placed on waivers, he returns to his previous team. The team can then decide to release him or keep him on the roster. If the player is kept, he will likely have a reduced role with the team.
