Wed Sep 03 11:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Bengals’ Karras Pushes for Pension Reform for Practice Squad Players

**CINCINNATI, OH -** Cincinnati Bengals center and NFLPA Vice President Ted Karras is advocating for a significant change to the NFL’s pension system, proposing that two years spent on a practice squad should equal one year of credited service towards a player’s pension.

In a recent interview, Karras highlighted the current disparity, where practice squad players receive no pension credit despite attending meetings, practices, and contributing to game preparation. To qualify for an NFL pension, a player must accrue three credited seasons, defined by active roster eligibility. Karras’s proposal, gaining traction after being shared online, aims to rectify this by allowing players like Bengals quarterback Jake Browning, who has spent four seasons on practice squads, to receive pension credit for their contributions.

“In honor of Labor Day, I asked Bengals center and NFLPA vice president Ted Karras if he could make one change. His response: Make two years of being on the practice squad equal one year of service time toward a player’s pension,” ESPN’s Ben Baby wrote.

Karras, a respected leader within the Bengals locker room and a two-time Super Bowl champion, argues that practice squad players deserve recognition and long-term security. The proposed reform comes as the NFL begins preliminary discussions on future labor agreements, with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) set to expire in 2030. While the proposal’s future in formal negotiations remains uncertain, it has already sparked a vital conversation about NFL player welfare and equitable treatment for all players, including those who contribute from the practice squad.

The move underscores the ongoing efforts to ensure fair compensation and benefits for all NFL players, regardless of their roster status.

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