The NFL introduced changes to its practice squad rules even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the league, having hammered out a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association. That new CBA already added two spots to the practice squad, increasing its size from 10 to 12 players.
But with rosters constricted by COVID-19 rules, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to further increase the practice squad to 16 players for the 2020 season. And they’ve limited some restrictions by allowing as many as six of those players to have an unlimited number of accrued seasons; in the past, only players with two years’ experience or fewer were eligible.