The National Football League (NFL) defines a healthy inactive as a player who is physically able to play but is not included in the team’s game-day lineup. A player may be designated as a healthy inactive for strategic reasons, such as if the coaching staff believes another player at that position will have a better chance of success in the game. Healthy inactives are also sometimes used to give younger players more experience by having them dress for and travel to games, even though they won’t see any playing time.
There are typically seven healthy inactives on an NFL roster each week, although this number can vary depending on injuries and other factors. Players who are inactive due to injury are listed as “injured reserve” and do not count towards the seven-man limit.