The Cincinnati Bengals are currently finalizing their 53-man roster and will soon begin the practice squad.

Starting August 28 at 12 p.m. ET, teams can begin signing players to their practice squads.

Let’s quickly refresh what you need to know about the 16-man player team that provides depth in training, participates in the work of the scout teams and provides additional players for emergency situations.

NFL Practice Squad Rules

All 32 NFL teams are allowed to have a 16-man practice squad. Teams participating in the International Player Pathway program can have a 17th player, but the Bengals are not participating in the program this year.

Practice squad players may be activated on game days before the team announces its inactive list. The player does not need to be promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster to make the move. Game day call-ups may be made with up to two practice squad players per week. A player may be activated three times per season. To be activated a fourth time, the player must be promoted to the 53-man roster.

While most players on the practice squad are rookies and young players, teams can also have six veterans on their roster with no limit on the number of NFL seasons they have already completed.

Practice squad players earn $12,500 per week or $225,000 for 18 weeks. Veteran players with more than 2 years of experience earn a minimum of $16,800 per week or $302,400 for 18 weeks. The maximum is $21,300 per week or $383,400 for 18 weeks.

Those are the basics. For more rules and regulations regarding NFL practice squads, check out Hogs Haven’s post.

2024 Bengals Training Squad

The Bengals can’t officially sign anyone to the practice squad until Wednesday, but we already have a handful of names they’ll try to get there.

According to reports, the Bengals want to sign safety PJ Jules and linebacker Shaka Heyward, among others. Offensive tackle Devin Cochran is also said to be a candidate.

We will update this section as soon as new contracts are announced over the next few days.

Candidates for the practice team

The majority of players signed to the practice squad are guys who were on the 90-man offseason roster during training camp and the preseason, but there could be some outside additions.

Here’s a look at the players to watch on the Bengals’ practice squad.

Quarterback Logan Woodside: With Woodside set to be released, the Bengals will definitely find a way to get a quarterback on the practice squad, and Woodside makes the most sense.

QB Desmond Ridder: If the Bengals want a quarterback with a little more regular season experience, this former UC Bearcats star is a solid candidate for the practice squad after being released by the Arizona Cardinals.

RB Frank Gore Jr: The Bengals will almost certainly add a running back to either their 53-man roster or practice squad. The son of Frank Gore just had a good preseason with the Buffalo Bills before being released.

RB George Holani: Another rookie who had a good preseason before being released by the Seattle Seahawks and actually met the Bengals in the pre-draft process.

TE Tanner Hudson or Tanner McLachlan: Assuming only four tight ends are retained, one of these guys will be released, and you can bet the Bengals will work to get him on the practice squad.

CB Nate Brooks: Assuming Brooks is released, he is a candidate for the practice squad due to the team’s lack of cornerback depth. The Bengals will likely look to sign multiple cornerbacks to the practice squad.

DB Kelvin Joseph: After being surprisingly released by the Kansas City Chiefs, Joseph is an interesting cornerback candidate. The former second-round pick from nearby Kentucky has played boundary corner, nickelback and safety. It’s no secret that the Bengals love versatile backups. He also began his college career at LSU and was briefly teammates with Joe Burrow.

DT Jowon Briggs: The former UC Bearcat was just released by the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the seventh round of this year’s NFL Draft. He could be someone the Bengals try to add to the 53-man roster.

DT Quinton Bohanna: With so many injuries on the Bengals’ defensive line, expect them to make a lot of additions to their practice squad in that area. Bohanna, who was just released by the Tennessee Titans, is a true nose tackle and could help a roster that doesn’t really have a nose tackle outside of career backup Jay Tufele and rookie McKinnley Jackson. The latter is still out of action due to injury and could be a candidate for IR once the 53-man roster is formed.

WR Terrace Marshall Jr: If Joe Burrow has his way, you can bet he’d love to have former LSU teammate Terrace Marshall in Cincinnati. The former second-round pick was just released by the Carolina Panthers despite having a solid preseason this year.

Other Bengals player who was released: That speaks for itself. Anyone recently released by the Bengals – guys like Travis Bell, Justin Blazek, Hakeem Butler, Aaron Casey, Allan George, Noah Cain and Kwamie Lassiter II – is a candidate for the move up.

This list of candidates will be updated as soon as further cuts are made to the squad.

Who would you like to see on the Bengals practice squad? Let us know in the comments section!