Quote:I cannot fathom a scenario where the NFL would force a team to retain a player that is suspended. What if your Long Snapper is suspended? The NFL going to make you burn two roster spots on that position alone? What if the replacement LS gets suspended too?

A team can't release or trade a player who's been suspended, but the player doesn't count against roster limits, including the 80-man total player limit that exists during the regular season (53 roster, 8 practice squad, max of 19 on the various reserve lists), nor do they have to pay him. Once the suspension ends, the team typically has a short roster exemption period to decide whether they want to activate the player, place him on a different reserve list or release/trade him.

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