The practice squad is a group of players signed by an NFL team who train with the club but are not on its active game-day roster. They can be promoted for individual games a limited number of times before the team must sign them to the main roster outright.
It is a development tier and an insurance policy at once. Teams use it to keep young players inside the building rather than losing them to a rival, and to hold experienced cover at positions where an injury would otherwise leave them short on a Sunday.
For the 2026 season a practice squad holds sixteen players, with an additional place available for an eligible international player. A limited number of veterans can be carried alongside the young players, and a squad member can be elevated to play in a game a set number of times before the club has to sign them properly.
Practice squad players can be signed away by any other team, provided that team puts them on its active roster. That is the safeguard that stops a strong club stockpiling talent it has no intention of ever playing.