In football, PUP stands for "Physically Unable to Perform" and is a roster designation used in the National Football League (NFL) for players who suffered injuries during football-related activities prior to the start of training camp. Here are some key points to know about the PUP list in the NFL:
-
Players on the PUP list may participate in team meetings and use team training and medical facilities, but cannot practice with their team.
-
There are two separate PUP lists: an active PUP list used prior to the start of the regular season, and a reserve PUP list used during the regular season.
-
A player who, as a result of football-related injuries, is unable to take part in training camp practices may be assigned to the active/PUP list at the start of camp. Players can be moved off the PUP list to the active roster at any time prior to the start of the regular season, even after one practice.
-
A player who finishes the preseason still on the PUP list can then be moved to the reserve/PUP list. Such players must sit out the first four weeks of the regular season. At that point, teams have a five-week window in which to allow the player to begin practicing; from the day the player begins practicing, teams have an additional 21-day window in which to decide whether to activate the player to the 53-man roster. If either of those deadlines passes, the player must remain on the PUP list for the remainder of the season.
-
Players on the Reserve/PUP list are prohibited from participating in practice and games for the first six weeks of the NFL season.
-
The PUP list differs from injured reserve (IR) in that players on IR dont count against the active roster, and if a player is placed on IR before the regular season begins, hes forced to miss the entire year.
-
Players can no longer be given the Physically Unable to Perform label once rosters are finalized.
In summary, the PUP list is a roster designation used in the NFL for players who are physically unable to perform their football-related duties because of injuries suffered while playing football. It is different from injured reserve and has two separate lists: an active PUP list used prior to the start of the regular season, and a reserve PUP list used during the regular season.
