The physically unable to perform (PUP) list houses NFL players who were not able to practice due to injury when training camps began. Who is on the PUP list in 2023, and what are the rules surrounding the PUP list?
Which Players Have Been Added to the PUP List in 2023?
New York Giants
- CB Aaron Robinson
Seattle Seahawks
- DT Bryan Mone
Tennessee Titans
- CB Caleb Farley
What Is the NFL PUP List?
The PUP list is a roster designation that NFL teams use for players who were injured before training camp began.
When a player is placed on the PUP list at the start of training camp, he is put on the active/PUP list. He counts against the team’s 90-man roster and can participate in meetings but is not allowed to practice. If the player practices — even once — during training camp, he must leave the PUP list.
Often, an active/PUP designation is not overly serious. Many of the players on the list above will be removed from the active/PUP list during training camp and be able to start the season on time.
However, if a player is still injured by the time the regular season arrives, he’ll be transferred to the reserve/PUP list.
What Are the NFL PUP List Rules?
Once a player is placed on the reserve/PUP list, he must miss at least the first four games of the season. During this time, he will not count against his team’s 53-man roster.
After the player’s four-game absence, his team receives a five-week window to allow the player to begin practicing. Once he begins practicing, the team gets a three-week window to decide to place him on the 53-man roster.
If the player never returns to practice or returns to practice but isn’t healthy enough to return to the active roster by the time those deadlines pass, he must stick on the PUP list for the rest of the season.
What Is the Difference Between PUP and NFI Designations?
In many ways, the PUP and the non-football injury (NFI) lists are similar, as they both will require four-game absences at the start of the regular season. However, there are differences between the two designations.
The PUP list is reserved for players who suffered injuries while participating in NFL activities. For example, if a player is hurt during minicamp or a team-sponsored weightlifting session, he’ll be placed on PUP.
The NFI list is for injuries that occurred away from NFL facilities. Bills running back Nyheim Hines, who will miss the season after being injured during a jet ski accident, will be placed on the NFI list. But the NFI list doesn’t require a freak injury like Hines’.
Players who get hurt training during the offseason are also subject to NFI placement. Meanwhile, college players who enter the NFL with existing injuries — like Detroit Lions rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker — are also placed on NFI because their injuries occurred before they joined the league.