We know that the NFL is home to some of the world’s highest-paid athletes. From its star QBs to its premier RBs and WBs, NFL players are some of the best-compensated pros in the world.
The data I pulled from Spotrac shows that the average NFL player’s salary is around $2 million per year, with some of the biggest stars earning upwards of $20 million per season.
This is significantly higher than other major sports leagues, such as the NBA and MLB. The NFL also has a much higher salary cap than other sports, which allows teams to allocate more money toward individual players.
But when it comes to preseason games, do NFL players get paid? Well, in short, rookies earn $925 per week, while veterans earn $1,700 per week. Players also receive a per diem for meals and travel expenses.
In this article, I’ll explore the answer to this question and explain why the NFL differs from other sports leagues in terms of player compensation.
Do NFL Players Get Paid for Preseason Games?
Every year, NFL teams come together for training camps before the season starts.
During these camps, players can prove their worth and make the team. Training camps are followed by the NFL preseason, a set of exhibition games where teams play each other in preparation for the season.
The number of preseason games varies from team to team, but the average is four. These games are also not as intense as regular season games, which helps to prevent injury. However, teams still want to see how players will perform at game speed, and these games are the best way to assess that.
A first-year athlete is paid a weekly salary of 925 dollars beginning with the initial day of preseason training camp and ending one week before the team’s first regular-season game.
A seasoned player with one or more credited seasons will get a weekly rate of 1,600 commencing on the first day of preseason training camp and ending one week before the team’s first regular season game.
The regular season paycheck will be 1/16 of their regular season salary, paid on each Monday of the season.
Believe it or not, a preseason paycheck has NOTHING to do with the size of an existing contract (if there is one).
ALL players get a “per diem” beginning with the first day of preseason training camp.
In the 2021/2022 seasons, rookies got, on average, $1,075 for each week (ending the week before the first regular season game), and the veterans got $1,900/week (the amounts go up next year).
All players get reimbursed for meals not furnished by the team on travel days (preseason, regular season, and postseason) at the same rate regardless of experience, approximately: breakfast is $38, lunch is $48, and Dinner is $66.
When the regular season begins, players are paid 1/17 per week of their contracted annual amount.
During preseason training camp, all players are provided with lodging and meals. Housing is also given for players who have not established residence in that city between training camp and the Tuesday before their team’s first regular season game.
Players who are cut from the team during the preseason may be eligible for a salary continuation benefit, which is a portion of the salary they would have earned if they had made the team.
This helps to ensure that players who have worked hard to make the team are not left without a paycheck.
Additionally, some teams may offer players a one-time signing bonus for making the team in the preseason, which helps to incentivize players to perform well in those games.
Some teams have rewarded their players with bonuses for performing well in preseason games. This is typically done to motivate players to give their best performance. Additionally, some teams may offer performance-based bonuses to players who are cut after the preseason.
How Long Are NFL Preseasons?
The NFL preseason lasts for four weeks, typically beginning at the beginning of August and ending at the end of August.
The first week of the preseason is usually focused on practice and the fundamentals of the game, with the second week introducing more advanced schemes and personnel groupings.
Week 3 is when teams begin to simulate a “game week,” handing out game plans and scouting the opponents while scripting each practice.
The fourth and final week of the preseason is when rookies and veteran “bubble guys” compete for the final roster spots, and veteran starters often don’t take a snap to avoid injury.
During the preseason, teams are looking to evaluate players and build their depth chart. In addition, coaches want to examine how rookies will perform against NFL speed and how veterans respond to new schemes and personnel groupings.
They also look to see how players perform in situations such as tackling, interior-line play, and full-speed special teams coverage.
And, of course, teams are looking for players who can make splash plays, get the ball out or explode through the returner inside the 20-yard line.
The fourth week of the preseason, in particular, is a critical time for players. It’s the final audition for those fighting for the final roster spots, and for rookies, it’s a chance to make corrections and develop, given the number of reps they get under the lights. But, at the same time, it’s the last chance for veterans to show their worth and prove they can contribute to the team.
The NFL preseason is a time of evaluation and preparation. Teams use the four weeks to evaluate talent and build their depth chart while also getting their players ready for the regular season. It can be a stressful time for players, but it’s an integral part of the game and necessary for teams to be successful in the regular season.
How Long Does NFL Training Camp Last?
Each spring, organized team activities occur during the NFL’s nine-week off-season workout program. Each year, the training camp begins in July.
According to NFL rules, veteran players must “report to training camp no sooner than 15 days before the team’s first planned preseason game or July 15, whichever is later.”
Training camps last two to three weeks. The start dates differ by the team, but they all take place in late July. Rookies are normally required to arrive at training camps before veterans.
Training camp is divided into many types of practices. Teams may practice twice in one day by performing two-a-days.
During training camp, they’ll also hold full-padded workouts to put their game plans into action.
This is their final chance to fine-tune their moves before the start of the preseason and season. Training camps may also include activities comparable to the offseason fitness programs offered in the spring, such as individual workouts, weight training, video analysis, and team drills.
Training camps may be held outside the team’s home city. For many years, the Cincinnati Bengals’ training camp was hosted in Georgetown, Kentucky, roughly 70 miles south of Cincinnati.
The NFL required all clubs to hold training camps at their own team facilities during the COVID-19 outbreak.
What Are OTAs in the NFL?
NFL teams hold organized team activities (OTAs) for ten days during the preseason.
While attendance during OTAs is not required, players are strongly urged to do so. OTAs typically feature roughly 90 players, but by the start of the season, rosters are reduced to 53 players.
OTAs can be crucial for some players’ careers while being contentious for others.
Organized team activities are not required. They are part of a nine-week, primarily voluntary session of off-season activities in the spring. OTAs are held during the third portion of these off-season sessions.
OTAs comprise ten scheduled practices or team activities spread out across four weeks.
OTAs are not the same as obligatory minicamps. Minicamps are also held during the third phase of off-season practices. Physicals and on-field practices are part of minicamps.
Players will not be punished or suspended for missing OTAs because they are optional.
However, there are incentives to attend the volunteer camp. Star defensive end Olivier Vernon, for example, has an “exercise bonus” written into his contract.
Vernon receives a $250,000 annual exercise incentive if he attends his team’s OTAs. Vernon declined to participate in OTAs with his team in 2017. Instead, he stayed at home to work out alone. As a result, he gave up his workout bonus.
Skipping minicamps, which follow OTAs, may result in major consequences.
Minicamps are typically three days long. The punishment increases with each day missed. A player can be penalized up to $14,775 for missing the first day of the minicamp, according to a CBS minicamp overview.
If a player decides to skip the second day of camp, he will be fined an additional $29,550. If that same player skips the third day of the minicamp, he can be penalized $44,325.
Keep in mind that those fines are all distinct, so a player who skips all three days might be fined $88,650.
The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement makes OTAs optional and minicamps required.
While Olivier Vernon did not attend OTAs in 2017, he did attend minicamps. Others are willing to accept the high fine.
Due to a contract dispute, Khalil Mack did not attend the minicamp in 2018. However, the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year outperformed his rookie deal and demanded that the Raiders make a large financial commitment to him.
Mack ultimately received the contract he deserved that summer, but not from the Raiders. Mack was moved from the Oakland Raiders to the Chicago Bears, who signed him to a six-year, $141 million contract extension.
