The NFL will not hold a supplemental draft in 2026, according to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The decision ensures that the league will go another year without the mid-summer drafting event, which has seen significantly diminished activity over the last several years.
The supplemental draft is typically designed for players who were not eligible for the standard NFL Draft in April but saw their status change due to academic or disciplinary issues later in the spring. According to Rapoport, the 2023 season was the last time the league actually held the event, though no players were selected by any of the 32 franchises during that period. The drought of actual player selections stretches back even further; the last player to be taken in a supplemental draft was safety Jalen Thompson, who was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019.
Under league rules, teams that choose to participate in a supplemental draft must bid a pick from the following year's primary draft. If a team's bid is successful, they forfeit that specific round's selection in the upcoming spring draft. With no event scheduled for 2026, prospects who did not enter the 2026 NFL Draft will have to seek alternative paths to the league or wait for future eligibility windows.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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