NFL Veteran Combine 2015

The NFL's inaugural Veteran Combine was held on March 22, 2015, at the Arizona Cardinals' training facility in Phoenix, Arizona. The event was open to free agent players who had previously been eligible for an NFL Draft — in other words, players already out of college and, in most cases, already cut by an NFL club.

It was held only once. The NFL cancelled the 2016 edition, and no event of the same kind has been staged since. This page is kept as the record of that single event, including the full participant list and the 40-yard dash times.

The Format

Around 2,000 players applied, and 105 were selected to take part. Participants went through a shortened version of the testing battery used at the National Scouting Combine — measurements, the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump and agility drills — along with position-specific work, in front of scouts and coaches from all 32 clubs.

The most-watched participant was defensive end Michael Sam, who in 2014 had become the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL. Sam did not sign with an NFL club after the event and announced his retirement from football in August 2015, citing his mental health.

40-Yard Dash Times

Here are the posted best 40-yard dash times for the running backs and fullbacks, as reported on Twitter by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Electronic timing was used.

What Happened Next

The results were modest. Nine players were signed by NFL clubs within two weeks of the combine, but only two participants made an opening-week 53-man roster that season: linebacker Brandon Copeland with the Detroit Lions and tight end Ifeanyi Momah with the Arizona Cardinals.

Copeland went on to have much the most substantial career of the group, playing for the Lions, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens before retiring in 2023 at age 32 — while also teaching a personal finance course at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. Fellow Penn alumnus Greg Van Roten, listed at the combine as a centre, also built a long NFL career as an offensive lineman.

Why It Was Discontinued

The NFL cancelled the 2016 Veteran Combine, with league spokesman Brian McCarthy citing a lack of interest from teams. The event was also largely redundant: unlike college prospects, free agent veterans can work out for clubs at any point in the year, so a single scheduled showcase offered little that a private workout did not.

The concept was revived once, in a narrower form. In March 2017 the league staged the Pro Player Combine in Phoenix, open to players who had signed their first NFL contract in 2014, 2015 or 2016, or whose most recent contract had been terminated during the 2016 league year — that is, younger recently-waived players rather than true veterans. It did not become an annual fixture, and the NFL has not run a comparable event for out-of-contract players since.

As of 2026, free agents looking for a route back into the league rely on private team workouts, agent-arranged showcases, and playing time in developmental leagues such as the UFL.

Participants

The 105 players selected for the 2015 event, by position: