NFL rosters are only a 53-man ordeal in name. Really, they're the 53 on the active roster and the 16 on the practice squad.
What started as a "taxi squad" of fill-ins for the Browns in the 1940s — to circumvent payroll rules, team owner Arthur McBride listed them as employees of his taxi company, even though they did no work there — has evolved into a crucial component of team building. Practice squads have grown from just a handful of players to 16 since 2020. International Pathway Program players can also be afforded a spot without counting against the 16.
The 2020 rule change not only opened the door to more spots but also to more meaningful ones. Teams can now elevate two practice-squad players per week, and players can be activated up to three times per season. After that, they have to be added to the active roster to play. Furthermore, the days of the practice squad being solely young players are long gone. Six of the 17 players can have previous NFL experience.
Finding the right combination of young players with upside, veterans who can play immediately if needed and depth at crucial spots is a difficult and highly competitive enterprise. After roster cuts on Sunday, teams began filling their practice squad on Monday.
