The NFL is one step closer to the start of the 2024 season.
The league's 53-man roster deadline has come and gone, with 1,184 roster spots eliminated across the league as teams finalize the personnel taking the field in Week 1. With those decisions, it also became clear which players dealing with injuries will not ready for the start of the 2024 NFL regular season.
Several players remained on the PUP list as the NFL's 4 p.m. ET roster cut deadline passed Aug. 27. These athletes will now be forced to miss almost a quarter of the season to start the fall.
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But what exactly is the PUP list? Here's what to know about where it falls among the NFL's various injury lists and what differentiates it from IR.
What is the PUP list in the NFL?
The PUP list — short for Physically Unable to Perform — is a specific designation in the NFL used for players who are physically unable to perform their football-related duties because of injuries suffered while playing football.
These players are allowed to participate in team activities, however they are not allowed to practice.
There are two different subsets of the PUP list. The first is the Active/PUP list, which is used during training camp when NFL rosters are at a 90-man limit. These players count towards a team's 90-man roster limit, even if they cannot practice, and they can be activated from the list at any time. However, once they are removed from the list, they cannot be put back on the PUP list.
The more notable list is the Reserve/PUP list, which takes effect when rosters are cut down to 53 ahead of the regular season. If a team chooses not to remove a player from the Active/PUP list before the 4 p.m. ET roster cut deadline, he is then transferred to Reserve/PUP. That requires the player to miss a minimum of four games.
Difference between PUP list and IR
In addition to the PUP list, there is also the injured reserve (IR). While the two serve similar purposes, there are key differences between the two.
Like the PUP list, players on IR do not count towards a club's 53-man roster. Those on the IR also must miss, at minimum, four games. However, the big difference is about the timing.
If a player lands on IR during training camp, they are ineligible to return to the team's active roster. They must either remain on IR for the rest of the season or they can be designated to return during the roster cutdown to 53 players after training camp. Teams are allowed to designate up to two such players to return.
Once the 53-man roster deadline passes, NFL teams can place any player on IR and have the option to activate them from the list after four games. NFL clubs can designate up to eight players to return from IR during the regular season, and that number bumps up to 10 if they make the postseason. An individual player can be designated to return twice in a season.
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When a player placed on the IR is cleared to practice, a 21-day window begins. The injured player must be activated to the 53-man roster or be placed on season-ending injured reserve at the conclusion of that three-week period. Teams also have the option to release or trade the player.
What is NFI in NFL?
The NFI list stands for "non-football injury/illness." Players that qualify for this designation are those that are injured outside of football or have a long-term illness that is not associated with playing.
Rookies who suffered injuries in college that are still lingering for their first NFL season often are placed on the NFI list to begin the year.
If a player remains on NFI after the final 53-man roster cutdowns, they can be placed on the reserve/NFI list. They will have to sit out four games, however they don’t count against the 53-man roster limit.
That applies to Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks. The second-round pick out of Texas is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in November 2023. As a result, he will miss the first four games of his rookie season.
How long are players on the PUP list out?
Players placed on the PUP list must sit out a minimum of four regular season games.
During this time, players on the PUP list do not count against the 53-man official roster.
Do NFL players get paid on PUP list?
Yes, players on the NFL's PUP list are paid their entire base salary, per NFL.com.
The contract of the player on that list will not roll over to the next season "unless he is in the last year of his deal and he is both not able to perform football services as of the sixth regular season game and is not activated during that regular season or postseason."
In other words, as long as a player is activated from the PUP list at some point during the season, he will be credited for playing during the season.
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Notable players on PUP list to start 2024
Below is a run-down of the notable players who have been placed on the PUP list to start the 2024 NFL season.
Nick Chubb, Browns
Chubb missed a majority of the 2023 season after suffering a serious knee injury in Week 2. After he successfully underwent surgery to repair his meniscus, ACL and MCL, he is still not 100% heading into 2024. While Chubb will miss the first four games of the season, the hope in Cleveland is that the month off from games will allow him the necessary time to get fully healthy. For now, Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong and D'Onta Foreman figure to share carries.
T.J. Hockenson, Vikings
The Vikings already lost rookie QB J.J. McCarthy to start the 2024 season. Now, starting tight end T.J. Hockenson will miss the first four games. The two-time Pro Bowler suffered a torn ACL in Week 16 of the 2023 season, but is not fully healed for 2024. In his place, Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver should get starting reps at tight end.
Odell Beckham Jr., Dolphins
Beckham Jr.'s injury to start the 2024 season is not clear. He finished out the 2023 campaign with the Ravens, suiting up in 14 games for Baltimore. However, it was reported that he underwent an "offseason procedure" that likely is the cause for his delayed start to his Dolphins' tenure. Still Miami's top options at wide receiver — Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle — won't change.
Bradley Chubb, Dolphins
On the other side of the ball for Miami, Chubb will miss the first four games of the season after tearing his ACL in his right knee in the final game of the regular season in 2023. It's the third time in his career he suffered a torn ACL, however, the previous two were to his left knee. The Dolphins will certainly miss Chubb's dynamic edge-rushing ability to start the year.
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Keaton Mitchell, Ravens
Mitchell broke out onto the scene last year when he got a shot in the Ravens' backfield due to injuries. However, that lasted just six weeks, as the speedy running back was hit with a knee injury in Week 15, ending his 2023 season. He wasn't expected to be the starter in Baltimore anyway, with that honor going to newly-signed Derrick Henry. When healthy, Mitchell could be a great compliment to the powerful Henry.
Tyler Higbee, Rams
Higbee tore his ACL and MCL last year when the Rams fell to the Lions in the wild-card round of the 2023 postseason. That injury is still lingering as the 2024 season begins. With Higbee out for four games, Colby Parkinson is expected to get starting reps at tight end.