Quick answer: In 2026, most NFL practice squad players earn a fixed $13,750 per week. Players with more than two accrued seasons negotiate a weekly rate between $18,350 and $22,850. Over an 18-week season, the standard rate comes to $247,500, about 28% of the $885,000 rookie minimum for an active-roster player.
Who gets what in 2026
Practice squad pay isn’t negotiated player by player. It is set by Article 33 of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which lists fixed weekly amounts by league year and says the amounts apply to postseason weeks as well. The 2026 figures, as reported by BetMGM and Legion Report, are:
| Player type | Weekly pay (2026) | Over 18 weeks (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| Two or fewer accrued seasons | $13,750 (fixed) | $247,500 |
| More than two accrued seasons, minimum | $18,350 | $330,300 |
| More than two accrued seasons, maximum | $22,850 | $411,300 |
The veteran number is a negotiated range, so a player’s actual rate depends on his deal with the club. For comparison, the same reports put the 2026 rookie minimum for an active-roster player at $885,000 and the veteran league minimum at $1,005,000. The standard practice squad rate for a full season equals about 28% of the rookie minimum ($247,500 ÷ $885,000).
How the pay has changed
According to Front Office Sports, the standard rate was $12,500 a week in 2024, $13,000 in 2025, and rises to $13,750 in 2026. The CBA text lists $11,500 for 2022. ESPN reported in 2020 that the minimum was $8,000 a week under the previous agreement and would rise to $11,500 by 2022.
| Year | Standard weekly rate |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $11,500 |
| 2024 | $12,500 |
| 2025 | $13,000 |
| 2026 | $13,750 |
What practice squad contracts can’t include
Article 33 bars practice squad contracts from carrying salary guarantees, bonuses, incentives, or any other compensation beyond the fixed weekly amounts. That means a practice squad player’s pay is the weekly rate for each week he is on the squad. Because pay is weekly, a player who is cut on Tuesday stops earning that week’s rate going forward, which is why the squad is a fluid roster.
Elevations: the one-game raise
Teams can promote practice squad players to the game-day roster. According to the Over The Cap text of Article 33 as summarized by SportsOrca, a team can elevate up to two players per game. For a game in which a player is elevated, his pay becomes one-seventeenth of the active-list minimum salary for a player with his number of credited seasons, and he reverts to the practice squad on the first business day after the game, without waivers.
Our arithmetic: for a player with no credited seasons, that is $885,000 ÷ 17 ≈ $52,059 for the game, or about 3.8 times a regular week at $13,750. A player with more credited seasons has a higher active-list minimum and therefore a higher check. We have not seen a published per-game table, so treat this as an estimate.
Squad size and who qualifies
For 2026, clubs may carry 17 practice squad players: 16 standard spots plus one reserved for an international player, according to NFL Football Operations as cited by GiantsGator. Of the 16 standard spots, up to six can go to players with unlimited NFL experience, and the other ten must be rookies or second-year players, per ESPN as cited there.
If another team wants to sign a practice squad player to its active roster, the signing club must keep him on its active/inactive list for three games, and a bye week counts as a game, according to the Over The Cap text of Article 33 as summarized by SportsOrca. This is why practice squad players often move to other clubs’ 53-man rosters.
What the numbers mean
A practice squad player on the standard rate earns a quarter of a million dollars over a full season, but only if he stays on the squad all 18 weeks. Pay can stop in any week, there are no guarantees or incentives, and the amounts are well below active-roster minimums. The gap between the standard rate and an elevation check shows why one game-day call-up can matter financially.
Frequently asked questions
How much do NFL practice squad players make per week in 2026?
$13,750 for players with two or fewer accrued seasons; $18,350 to $22,850 for players with more.
How much is that for a full season?
$247,500 at the standard rate over 18 weeks, or between $330,300 and $411,300 for veterans in the negotiated band.
How many players are on a practice squad?
Up to 17 in 2026, including one international player.
Do practice squad players get bonuses?
Article 33 says practice squad contracts cannot include bonuses, incentives, or guarantees beyond the fixed weekly amounts.
Can a practice squad player be paid more for one game?
Yes. If a team elevates him to the game-day roster, his pay for that game is one-seventeenth of the active-list minimum for his credited seasons.
