NFL Reportedly Won't Hold Supplemental Draft for 2nd-Straight Year

The NFL won't stage a supplemental draft in 2021, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Pelissero noted the collective bargaining agreement allows the league to act unilaterally with regard to the supplemental draft.

The event wasn't held in 2020, either. At the time, players eligible for the supplemental draft were told they'd have to enter the 2021 draft rather than be granted immediate free agency.

The supplemental draft is an alternative for players who weren't eligible for the draft proper but saw their status change in the aftermath of the event. Teams bid against one another and forfeit a draft pick in the following draft depending on the round in which they selected the player.

For example, the Arizona Cardinals took Washington State safety Jalen Thompson in the fifth round of the 2019 supplemental draft. They were then without a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Tuesday's news is unlikely to have much of an impact for teams still looking to make some tweaks to their roster. The supplemental draft generally isn't where a general manager looks to find a potential star.

Josh Gordon is the last supplemental draftee to reach the Pro Bowl, and he has since seen his career derailed by multiple suspensions. Only one supplemental draftee (Cris Carter) has gone on to the Hall of Fame.