Do NFL players get paid during preseason? Exploring the NFL Training Camp Salary Structure – Pro Football Network
nfl training camps are here, giving teams a chance to prepare for the 2023 campaign and players a chance to fight for roster spots. But how do players get paid during training camps and the nfl preseason? Let’s break down how much NFL players will earn over the next month before the regular season begins.
NFL Training Camp Salary Scouting
As is the case with most technical questions about NFL salaries, the answer to whether NFL players are paid during preseason activities is detailed in the league’s most recent report. Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)which was ratified in 2020.
In accordance with Article 23 of the CBA, veteran players are entitled to daily payments beginning on the first day of training camp and ending on the last day of training camp. In this case, a veteran is defined as a player with at least one season of credited service.
During the 2023 and 2024 league years, veteran players will earn $3,200 per week during training camp. That figure will increase to $3,500 per week for the 2025 and 2026 league years.
Meanwhile, first-year NFL players will receive a weekly rate of $1,850 in 2023 and 2024. That will increase to $2,000 per week in 2025 and 2026.
The CBA also requires that all NFL players receive room and board during training camp. In addition, “players who have not yet established their residence in the team city” must receive housing between training camp and the Tuesday before their team’s first regular-season game.
How many preseason games are there?
In 2021, the NFL enacted a rule change that expanded the regular season from 16 to 17 games and cut preseason from four games to three. With each team playing in three preseason contests, there will be 48 total preseason games on the 2023 list.
Additionally, during Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend, the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns will square off in the annual event hall of fame game held in Canton, Ohio.
How much do the practice squad players make?
Each NFL team is allowed to include a practice squad, a group of players who are not on the active roster but who are able to participate, practice, and move up on game days. The size of the practice team has grown continuously in recent years. In 2023, each club will be able to have up to 16 players in its practice squad.
While NFL practice squad players don’t make as much as those on 53-man rosters, they still do pretty well. Any player with two or fewer years of accumulated seasons will earn $12,000 each week he is on a practice squad. Meanwhile, players with more than two accumulated seasons will be paid at least $16,100 but no more than $20,600 per week.
