NFL Practice Squad rules: Which Steelers are eligible?

(Big nod to David Fucillo and Niners Nation for compiling this information here)

Rules

In order to be eligible for the practice squad, players must meet one of the following requirements:

• Have no prior Accrued Seasons in the NFL (An accrued season is six or more games on the active roster);
• Have one prior Accrued Season in which the player was on the 45-man active roster for no more than 8 games;
• If served two seasons on a practice squad, are eligible for a third season only if the team has at least 53 players on its active/inactive list for the duration of that player's employment.

It's worth noting that a player will be considered to have served on a practice squad in a season if he were a member of a practice squad for three regular or postseason games during his first two practice squad seasons, or for one regular season or postseason game during a third practice squad season.

Players on the practice squad can earn a minimum of $5,700 per week in 2012. It is worth noting teams can pay a member of the practice squad anything above that amount but it appears as though it impacts the salary cap.

It is also important to note that once a player signs with a practice squad, with one exception he can sign with another team's 53-man roster at any point during the season. The one exception is that practice squad players may not sign a contract with his team's next opponent after 4 p.m. ET six days preceding the game (10 days preceding in bye weeks). A player cannot sign a practice squad contract with one team and then leave to sign a practice squad contract with another team, unless the first team has released said player.

Finally, if a player is promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, that player must remain there for three weeks and get paid the minimum salary for their status. If they are let go before the three weeks, they still receive the three weeks pay.

There is one exception to this called the Contagious Disease Addendum, which was first added in June 2010 in a side letter agreement to the last CBA. This states that if a player is promoted from the practice squad for a game because a club was given a roster exemption due to confirmed or suspected cases of contagious disease among its players, the player remains on his practice squad contract, but will be paid 1/17 of the league minimum salary. After the game he will be returned to the practice squad without having to clear waivers.

Which Steelers are eligible?

Quarterbacks

- Landry Jones

Running backs

- Alvester Alexander

- Le'Veon Bell

Wide receivers

- Justin Brown

- Reggie Dunn

- Kashif Moore

- Derek Moye

- Markus Wheaton

Tight ends

- Nathan Overbay

Offensive linemen

- Mike Golic Jr.

- David DeCastro

- Chris Hubbard

- Joe Long

- Joe Madsen

Defensive linemen

- Brian Arnfelt

- Loni Fangupo

- Alameda Ta'amu

Linebackers

- Alan Baxter

- Terence Garvin

- Jarvis Jones

- Marshall McFadden

- Vince Williams

Cornerbacks

- Isaiah Green

- Terry Hawthorne

- Devin Smith

- Josh Victorian (Steelers must have 53 players on their roster)

Safeties

- Ross Ventrone

- Shamarko Thomas

More from Behind the Steel Curtain:

• Steelers roster cuts: Everything we know
• Risk and reward of pursuing free agent OT J'Marcus Webb
• Cuts to come by 4 p.m. ET
• Practice squad rules and which Steelers are eligible
• NFL roster cuts of interest to the Steelers - UPDATES
• Weekend Checkdown
• Some notable players released
• Steelers will announce roster cuts Saturday
• Chargers release Max Starks
• Dennis Dixon, Adrian Robinson cut by Eagles
• Keeping six running backs, Felix Jones in particular, adds special teams depth
• Little has changed in running backs group
• Final 53 man roster predictions
• Colbert: No contracts being negotiated
• 5 things we learned this preseason
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