NFL non-football injury list rules state teams can bring back only 8 players into the active roster after recovery. NFI players get no salary.
NFI list in the NFL is designated for those players that cannot practice or play NFL games when they get poor health conditions from outer football activities.
These conditions can arise due to illness or vehicle accidents. College players who carry their condition from their football days to NFL will also be considered in this category.
Reserve non football injury list definition tells that players designated cannot play during the preseason. To return to the regular season games, they must wait at least 4 matches (it was 6 before).
Moreover, this return eligibility is only applied to those who are still in the NFI after the 53-man roster finalization.
The NFI designation has similarities with the PUP list and the Injured Reserve. All three of them restrict the player’s ability to openly operate on the playing field. However, they still share some differences regarding salaries and returning eligibility.
Non Football Injury List
NFI NFL list players cover 1. Calais Campbell 2. Hendon Hooker and 3. Mike Purcell. They are out of 2023 preseason duties.
Here is a list of NFL players who are placed on the NFI list for the 2023 preseason:
- Calais Campbell – Atlanta Falcons
- Mike Purcell – Denver Broncos
- Trayvon Mullen – Baltimore Ravens
- Dante Pettis – Chicago Bears
- Luke Schoonmaker – Dallas Cowboys
- Tyus Bowser – Baltimore Ravens
- Michael Woods II – Cleveland Browns
- Grant DuBose – Green Bay Packers
- Calvin Anderson New England Patriots
- Tyree Wilson – Las Vegas Raiders
Calais Campbell – Atlanta Falcons
Calais Campbell is a veteran Defensive End for Atlanta Falcons who got designated for NFI on 25 July 2023.
The Falcons have not officially announced the reason for his NFI Listing, but head coach Arthur Smith has stated that Campbell’s issue is minor and he could be bought into the Active roster soon. Calais is still part of the 90-man roster for now.
Campbell joined the Falcons in the 2023 season after a 3-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens. However, he is a long-time player, with roots going back to his 2008 draft by Arizona Cardinals. Campbell played defense for 9 years in the State Farm Stadium.
A 6’8 DE weighing 300 lb, Calais has made a fearsome reputation as an End, playing in 6 Pro Bowls and becoming the 2017 PFWA Defensive Player of the Year. During his Arizona years, Campbell registered 56.5 sacks, 382 solo tackles, and 8 Fumbles recovered.
Tyus Bowser- Baltimore Ravens
Tyus Bowser is an Outside Linebacker for Baltimore Ravens. Bowser was placed on NFI on 21 July 2023.
The OLB has suffered from a knee injury and is slated to be out for at least this off-season time. However, Bowser can return for practice at any time to join the Active roster, showcasing that his injury is not lethal.
Bowser played 9 games in 2022 and registered 2 sacks, 13 tackles, and 1 forced fumble. He has been embedded with the Ravens organization since the 2017 draft and has played 89 matches for them.
Mike Purcell – Denver Broncos
Mike Purcell is a Defensive Tackle for the Denver Broncos who was placed on NFI in July 2023.
Purcell had received a knee injury during the 2022 season but still went on to play the entirety of the 17 regular season weeks. However, he underwent minor surgery during the off-season and has yet to recover from it.
Hailing from NCAA’s Wyoming Cowboys, Purcell started his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers in 2014. He played there for 3 years before joining the Broncos in 2020. With the Broncos, Mike has played 49 games and made 141 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Hendon Hooker – Detroit Lions
Hendon Hooker is a backup quarterback for the Detroit Lions who was drafted in the 3rd round in 2023.
Hooker received an ACL tear during his college career for Tennessee and is still recovering from the said injury. His condition is present for 7 months now, and Hendon has stated on SEC Media Days that he feels better every day and will look to kickstart his professional career as soon as possible.
The rookie QB played for two colleges at the NCAA level. In 2018, he joined Virginia Tech before transferring to Tennessee. Hendon recorded 3135 passing yards, 229 pass completions, and 27 TDs in the 2022 season.
Do NFL Players On NFI List Get Paid?
Non Football injury list salary is not available for players who receive this designation.
Once the player receives the NFI, his franchise is not obligated to offer any type of remuneration during their recovery time. Nevertheless, the athlete still has the right to negotiate a suitable payment during this time frame.
Regarding the player’s contracts, if the contract is in the final year (along with option years), his contract will still be valid. The days / month / year of absence will be counted.
Many athletes will negotiate with the team for payment if they have no other option. If the negotiation fails, they can either sit without a paycheck or request to go to another club.
For instance, Colts reporter Mike Chappell reported that the Colts were considering NFI for Jonathan Taylor since he had a back injury during his own workout session. However, Taylor refuted this and CBS Sports reported that he requested a trade.
Types Of Non Football Injury Designation
NFI is categorized into two types: 1 Active and 2. Reserve. Teams utilize them carefully by monitoring the player’s health.
Whether to place an athlete on Active or Reserve NFI depends on their condition’s seriousness. The active category is generated when the team believes that the player can return soon for practice sessions. Once the athlete makes 1 field appearance, they cannot be placed back on the NFI.
When the NFI’d athlete plays at least 1 practice match or preseason game, they are automatically eligible to start right from Week 1. However, when the Active listed athlete doesn’t get to the 53-man roster, they must be designated on the Reserve category.
Reserve non football injury list contains NFL players who show no signs of health improvement in the preseason. They will get to play in the regular season from Week 4. However, this opportunity only occurs if they have already started to practice in earlier weeks.
A 3-week window will appear for such players once they start practicing for their team. During this time, they can move to the active roster. If the athlete doesn’t move during this time, they must sit out for the rest of the season.
NFL Injured Reserve Rules
NFL injured reserve rules state that a player can return after four games of the regular season. This rule is applicable to NFI players.
When an athlete gets injured during football practice or an official match, they are eligible to get placed in the Injured Reserve (IR). Once the footballer gets put on IR, they must wait out at least four games before entering the Active roster again.
The league has not stated any maximum capacity regarding how many players can be on IR. However, the players who can return are limited. One player can also return twice in the same season, but it will accumulate toward a total of 8.
Unlike NFI, the IR players will get paid a salary. Players with guaranteed contracts will get better financial benefits during this time. They are also entitled to receive the Super Bowl ring.
With the launch of the 2023 season, all 32 teams seek to keep a healthy depth chart right from the Training camp. Athletes will be designated to PUP, IR, or NFI accordingly to maintain smooth rotation.
Why Do NFL Teams Have To Report Injuries?
NFL teams have to report injuries to reduce malicious business practices like gambling. Accurate reporting will aid the player in better recovery.
Without any formal reporting, the League saw gambling related to their player information in the past. Gamblers could gain inside data on the injury status by paying off the coaches or other officials. Then they could profit from it through betting.
To combat these issues, the League has established a Personal Injury Report for every team. The franchises are required to disclose the names of injured athletes every week.
The reports comprise Practice, Game Status, and In-game statuses. Moreover, the team has to specify which body part has been injured too. For example, a leg condition should be written as knee, groin, or calf.