What Is the NFL Reserve Suspended List?

An inactive player in the NFL could find themselves out of game play for several reasons. One of the inactive reasons is for the "Reserve Suspension." This occurs when a player has been suspended from the team for a set amount of games. There are usually no injuries to the players on the list.

  1. Purpose

    • The reserve suspended list is intended to save a spot on the team's roster for a player, but does not include the player on the active team. The player does not travel with the team, appear in uniform or get paid to attend games. The "reserve" section of the title means that their spot is still saved on the roster for the future of the season.

    Causes

    • There are several reasons for an NFL player to join the reserve suspended list. Crimes committed outside the NFL, illegal in-game actions like bad tackles or fights, or a bad public image. For example, at the start of the 2010 NFL season, Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for four games due to his involvement in multiple sexual assault cases.

    Time frame

    • The time frame for the NFL reserve suspended list is measured on a "by game" basis. For example, a player could miss five games, six games or a half season. If the punishment is extreme, the player could be suspended for a complete season. For example, Cleveland Browns' wide receiver Donte Stallworth was suspended for a complete season after being convicted of killing a pedestrian while driving drunk.

    Suspensions Ended

    • After the suspension is over, the team can activate that player's position on the roster. If the player's position had a replacement, the team would need to make extra room on the roster to activate the player again. The activated player does not need a new contract, their previous contract resumes for the team.