A reader sent me an email question regarding my post about the Pittsburgh Steelers potential need to sign a wide receiver off of the practice squad in case Antonio Brown is unable to play next Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Apparently there is some misinformation floating around that is stating that the Steelers must keep a practice squad player that they promote from their own 8 man unit on their 53 man roster for three weeks after said promotion. This is totally false.
The three week rule relates to a team signing a player off of another team\’s practice squad, not their own and below is the CBA rule that states that very thing.
ARTICLE 33 PRACTICE SQUADS
Section 5. Active List:
If a player on the Practice Squad of one club (Club A) signs an NFL Player Contract with another club (Club B), (1) the player shall receive three weeks salary of his NFL Player Contract at the 53-player Active/Inactive List minimum even if he is terminated by Club B prior to earning that amount, and (2) Club B is required to count the player on its 53-player Active/Inactive List for three games (a bye week counts as a game) even if he is terminated, traded, or assigned via waivers to another club or is signed as a free agent to another club’s 53-player roster or another club’s Practice Squad prior to that time. If the player is terminated from Club B’s 53-player roster and signed to Club B’s Practice Squad, he shall continue to count on the club’s 53-player Active/Inactive List but shall not count against the eight-player Practice Squad limit until the three-game requirement has been fulfilled. If a player is terminated prior to the completion of the three-game period and is signed to Club B’s Practice Squad or is signed or assigned to another Club’s 53-player roster or Practice Squad, any Salary (as that term is defined in Article 13, Section 4 that he receives from any NFL club applicable to the three-game period shall be an offset against the three weeks’ Salary that he is entitled to receive from Club B. If the promotion occurs with fewer than three games remaining in the Club’s regular season, the three game requirement for roster count shall not carry over into the next season.
This is further backed up by a few recent moves made by the Steelers and as you can see, none of the players promoted stayed on the 53 man roster for three weeks.
10/20/2012 – Promoted OL John Malecki to Active Roster; Released, DL Corbin Bryant
10/23/2012 Signed DE Corbin Bryant to the Practice Squad
10/27/2012 – Promoted S Damon Cromartie-Smith to Active Roster; Released OL John Malecki
10/30/2012 – Signed OL John Malecki and TE Jamie McCoy to the Practice Squad; Released DE Corbin Bryant
10/31/2012 – Released S Damon Cromartie-Smith
11/2/2012 – Signed S Damon Cromartie-Smith to the Practice Squad; Released OL Jacques McClendon
Hopefully this clears up the false information that is currently circulating.
