For many years, the NFL has held the same rule for the players on the Physically Unable to Perform, or PUP, list. A minimum of six games needed to be played before a player on the PUP list could begin practicing and kick off the process of returning to action.
Players placed on the PUP list prior to the season would miss at least six games, and many would linger on the list for another 2-3 weeks before activation. In short, it was common for PUP players to miss half the season.
However, the NFL quietly modified the rules for the PUP list this offseason. Now players are eligible to begin to practice after just four games. With no set minimum number of practices to get back into the lineup, PUP players could be back without even missing a quarter of the 17-game season.
