NFL Salaries - Active Versus Practice Squad - Clarification

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1

I consistently see people referring to salaries and thus the huge gap with respect to the money that can be made in the NFL versus the CFL. No doubt the margin of difference can be very wide, but I think some of the terms and $ amounts are being misconstrued & misquoted & switched.

Under the current CBA.

Active/Inactive Roster - League Minimum Contract = $390K - Maximum 53 players on last Saturday after preseason ends.
Practice Roster = $5800 per week * Max 17 weeks = $96,900 - Maximum of 8 players can be on PR at any given moment.

There are many other rules & regulations that are not really necessary to go into detail here with respect to roster sizes etc.

But just to clarify, a guy like Chris Williams or Frederic Plesius or one of the many other names mentioned when it comes to NFL aspirations versus playing/signing in the CFL or with the TiCats specifically ... They don't get paid $390K to lounge on the PR. They have to make the Active Roster to get that compensation. The PR is $5,700 per week ... And YES, I know that can add up to more than what they'd get in Canada ... But that's if they're in the PR for all 17 weeks. From what players & former players have told me, the PR is often very fluid with more than 16 & sometimes 24 guys "hanging" around a specific franchise each taking their turn on the PR and getting a paycheque (pay check in the US) for that particular week. Players get added and dropped very frequently by management on the PR. Althought the better franchises "take care" of guys and make it worth their time to stay in town for a few weeks even if they've been dropped from the PR.

So simple math says ... If you manage to make and stay on the PR for half the season ... You'd make = $45,600.

MAKE & STAY on the Active Roster ... Yes ... A PRO-RATED $390K is all yours!

But that's easier said than done.

2

Don't forget... NFL has a pension after 3 years of being on a active roster.

3

Thank you, I also find it very annoying when it's constantly quoted that a CFLer would make more on an NFL PR then being a star player in the CFL. that's completely UN-TRUE

Also explains why QB's like Lulay would rather stay in the CFL then NFL. NFL rookie min is around ~400K, his CFL salary is going to be ~450K, he gets more money and gets to play as opposed to MAYBE getting the money and being the 3rd string guy.
Now yes if a guy goes to the NFL, makes the roster and then gets starter reps(like Browner) then that's a huge payday. But most guys go there, spend a year or two on the PR and go back to the CFL often to find their job is gone(especially imports)

Should be interesting to see what happens in 2014 with the cap and it's effect when it comes to players and taking their NFL shot. IMO it's going to take more from the NFL team to lure guys away(such as bonus $$)