NFL increases practice squads to 10 players for 2014, '15

NEW YORK -- NFL teams can carry 10 players on their practice squads for the next two seasons.

The league and the players' union agreed Tuesday to increase the number of practice squad members from eight to 10.

Also, criteria for practice squad eligibility has been expanded in two categories.

A player must have a minimum of six games on a practice squad -- increased from the previous three games -- for that year to count as one of three permissible seasons on the squad.

And each team now can sign a maximum of two practice squad players who have earned no more than two NFL seasons toward free agency. Aside from that exception, a player with one or more accrued seasons can't go on a practice squad unless he spent fewer than nine games on a club's 46-player active list in each of his pro seasons.