A former first-round pick and the 2024 draft’s Mr. Irrelevant were among the seven Alabama alumni returning to NFL rosters on Wednesday as practice-squad members.
Each NFL team had to reduce its 90-player preseason roster to the regular-season limit of 53 active players on Tuesday, and none of the Alabama alumni waived or released in that process were claimed or signed by other teams.
So offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood, the 17th selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, returned to the Los Angeles Chargers after being waived by the team on Tuesday, just as safety Jaylen Key, the 257th player picked in the 2024 NFL Draft, rejoined the New York Jets.
Each NFL team could begin assembling a 16-player practice squad (17 if the team has an International Pathway player) on Wednesday afternoon. Practice-squad members work just as active-roster players do during the week, but they are not eligible to play in the games – with one exception. Each NFL team can elevate two practice-squad players to active status for each game.
On Wednesday, 29 of the 32 NFL teams announced at least partial practice-squad rosters, with these former Alabama players among those signed:
· Tony Brown, cornerback, Cleveland Browns.
· Darrian Dalcourt, guard, Baltimore Ravens
· Miller Forristall, tight end, Los Angeles Rams.
· Kareem Jackson, safety, Buffalo Bills.
· Jaylen Key, defensive back (UAB), New York Jets.
· Alex Leatherwood, offensive lineman, Los Angeles Chargers.
· Tyrell Shavers, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills.
Each player returned to the team that had waived or released him on Tuesday.
