JUMP TO:
- What does PUP stand for?
- What is the NFL PUP list?
- NFL PUP list rules
- Differences between preseason and regular season PUP lists
- What is the difference between PUP and IR?
- NFL PUP list roster impact
- NFL PUP list FAQs
The NFL has many rules and protocols for players recovering from injuries, and one of the bigger ones is the PUP list.
Many players get placed on the PUP list prior to the start of the season before returning over the course of the year. However, this list has a certain purpose for injured players, as teams use it strategically depending on their players' injuries.
Since the NFL has different injury-list designations for teams to use, it's important to understand the PUP list and how it is used in the league. Here's a breakdown of the PUP list and what it means.
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What does PUP stand for?
PUP stands for "Physically Unable to Perform," which is a category under which teams place certain injured players when they are injured and can't play.
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What is the NFL PUP list?
The PUP list is a list for injured players that teams use instead of injured reserve. Players on these lists typically are recovering from injuries they sustained prior to the current NFL season, as it allows them to recover at their own pace before joining their teams on the field.
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NFL PUP list rules
At the beginning of training camp, teams can place players on the active/PUP list to designate that they can't play or practice due to football injuries, but those players still count towards the 90-man training camp roster. If a player is removed from the list, they are ineligible to be put back on at any time.
Once teams have to cut down their rosters to 53 players, they must decide if the players on the active/PUP list should transfer to the reserve/PUP list. Any player on the reserve/PUP list on cutdown day must miss at least four games to begin the season.
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Differences between preseason and regular season PUP lists
There are two kinds of PUP lists: the active/PUP list that is used during preseason and the reserve/PUP list that is used during the regular season.
The active/PUP list is for players who entered training camp dealing with a football injury but can still participate in team activities besides practice. Those players count towards the 90-man training camp roster and can be activated off the PUP list at any time during training camp.
Before cutdown day, teams have to decide whether to place players on the reserve/PUP list instead of the 53-man roster. Players on the reserve/PUP list are required to miss at least four games to begin the regular season, but can be activated off the list anytime after those four games.
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What is the difference between PUP and IR?
PUP and IR are two different lists that teams use to roster their injured player. The PUP list is usually used for players who are close to returning from an injury but still need some time, while injured reserve is a list for players who are not close to returning.
The PUP list is used before the start of the season, as players who suffer injuries during the season get put on the injured reserve list.
Players placed on IR list are before the season are not eligible to return during the season. Players put on IR after cutdown day are eligible to return during the season, but teams are only eligible to "designate to return" up to eight players during the season.
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NFL PUP list roster impact
Players on the PUP list count towards the 90-man roster in training camp but not towards the 53-man roster in the regular season. However, the point of this list is that these players are too injured to play in a practice or game, so teams benefit from opening the extra roster spot.
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NFL PUP list FAQs
Which injuries qualify for the PUP list?
Players on the PUP list typically have injuries that required a long recovery or rehab from surgery from the season before or the offseason. Typically, players who had season-ending injuries from the year before, like torn ACLs for example, get put on the PUP list as they finish their rehab process.
When can players be placed on the PUP list?
Players can be placed on the PUP list at any time during training camp. Teams put players on the active/PUP list during training camp while the rosters are at 90 players, while teams put players on the reserve/PUP list after they cut their rosters down to 53.
How long does a player stay on the PUP list?
During training camp, players are eligible to stay on the active/PUP list until teams cut down their rosters from 90 to 53. Teams can decide to activate those players whenever they are ready to return to practice in training camp.
Once teams cut their rosters 53 players, those placed on the reserve/PUP list must remain on the list through the first four games of the season. After those four games, players on the reserve/PUP list are eligible to be activated at any time.
How does the PUP list impact the 53-man roster?
Players on the reserve/PUP list don't count towards the 53-man roster, but they must miss at least four games during the regular season as a result.
How does a player return from the PUP list?
Teams simply transfer players off the PUP list and onto the active roster when those players are ready to play. If this occurs during the season, then teams must make room on their roster for the player.
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