The Chicago Bears have finalized their initial 53-man roster, which included some difficult cuts and some surprising moves.
Now, the Bears can start building their 16-man practice squad, which will likely consist of some familiar faces waived during the final roster cutdowns.
Before general manager Ryan Poles begins assembling his practice squad, we took a crack at predicting what the team’s practice squad will look like. That included the returns of some familiar faces, including quarterback Austin Reed, running back Brittain Brown, wide receiver Tyler Scott tight end Joel Wilson. But will those names join Chicago’s practice squad?
We’re tracking the Bears’ practice squad additions as they’re announced:
Tracking Bears practice squad signings (official)
When can the Bears start forming their practice squad?
The Bears can start forming their practice squad starting at 11 a.m. CT on Wednesday, Aug. 27.
How many players are on the practice squad?
In previous seasons, teams were allowed to carry 10 players. That number was going to expand to 12 for the 2020 season and then expand to 14 in 2022. That changed with COVID-19, where the league increased practice squads to 16 players, which will once again be the limit in 2024. Teams can have a 17th practice squad member as part of the International Pathway Program (IPP). Of those potential 17 practice squad members, 10 must have two or fewer accrued seasons. The other six do not have any limitations and are classified as “veterans.”
Who is eligible for the practice squad?
Any player can sign with a team’s practice squad, but there are limitations in place. Here are the different categories for practice squad players, according to Sporting News.
How much do practice squad players make?
There are two different salary scales for practice squad players depending on a player’s experience. There’s one for players with two or fewer accrued seasons (which are most practice squad players) and one for everyone with three or more, according to Sporting News.
The first group, which includes rookies and players who have played no more than two accrued seasons, receive a fixed weekly salary of $13,000. The second group, which consists of players who have played three or more accrued seasons, do not have a fixed salary. The minimum weekly salary for a veteran on the practice squad is $17,500, while the maximum is $22,000.
How can a practice squad player be signed away?
Players on a team’s practice squad are free to sign with another team at any point. Although, a team that signs a player from a practice squad must add the player to its 53-man roster. That means no switching practice squads across the league.
How can teams utilize practice squad players each week?
Teams can elevate up to two practice squad players on game day, per Sporting News, expanding their roster to 55 players. Seven players will be designated as inactive. Following the game, players who were elevated to the game day roster revert back to the practice squad. Practice squad players can only be elevated two times per season. If a team wants to play them more, they must sign them to the active roster.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Chicago Bears’ 2025 practice squad tracker
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Brendan Sugrue and Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
