Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the 49ers and Rams, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many of those clubs may be welcoming some players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to practice.
Of course, just because those players are able to return to the practice field doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player on the PUP list could theoretically return for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest. If the player doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.
Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform list who can begin practicing as soon as next week:
- 49ers: NaVorro Bowman (LB), Garrett Celek (TE), Kaleb Ramsey (DT)
- Chargers: Jeromey Clary (OL)
- Colts: Stanley Havili (FB)
- Falcons: Drew Davis (WR), Zeke Motta (S)
- Jets: Antwan Barnes (LB)
- Lions: T.J. Jones (WR)
- Panthers: De’Andre Presley (WR)
- Raiders: D.J. Hayden (CB)
- Ravens: Terrence Cody (DT)
- Redskins: Stephen Bowen (DE), Leonard Hankerson (WR)
- Saints: Cheta Ozougwu (OLB)
Players who began the season on the PUP list didn’t participate in any preseason practices, but that’s not the case for players on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.
That means that players who were placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing next week. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after – for instance – Week 2 will have to wait another two weeks to return to practice.
Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as next week:
- 49ers: Glenn Dorsey (DT)
- Bears: Marquess Wilson (WR)
- Buccaneers: Charles Sims (RB)
- Chiefs: Joe Mays (LB)
- Colts: Xavier Nixon (T)
- Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence (DE)
- Giants: Geoff Schwartz (G)
- Lions: Kyle Van Noy (LB)
- Packers: J.C. Tretter (C)