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With the end of the season, you might have seen news about the Jets signing various players to reserve/future contracts.
We’ve signed nine players to reserve/futures contracts.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 31, 2019
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We've signed K Brett Maher to a reserve/futures contract.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 31, 2019
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What does this mean?
Each year teams are allowed to have 90 players on their roster in training camp. Essentially, these reserve/future contracts are the Jets signing these players for training camp next year. The new league year doesn’t begin until March so these players are signing for a “future” season.
Free agents are eligible to sign these contracts. By free agents I mean players who are not on a team. I don’t mean players like Robby Anderson who have an expiring contract. Those contract don’t technically expire until the end of the league year in March so those players cannot sign reserve/future deals.
Many players who signed reserve/future contracts ended the season on the practice squad. The practice squad dissolves at the end of the season, making those players free agents.