After spending the first 11 games of New England’s 2025 NFL season on the practice squad, CJ Dippre joined the Patriots’ 53-man active roster this week.
The tight end signed with New England on May 9 as an undrafted rookie after two seasons at Alabama.
“Coming up to be on that active roster is definitely cool,” Dippre told masslive.com. “… It’s awesome to show that the work isn’t going unnoticed, and I’m working in the right direction.”
Work has been the key element in Dippre’s advancement, Patriots tight-ends coach Thomas Brown said on Thursday.
“Hard work is undefeated,” Brown said. “I think being able to have a chance to come in as a rookie to kind of try to continue to prove yourself and try to find ways to figure out: What role can I carve out? I think the biggest thing for him is being able to just put his head down and continue to work every single day, having some opportunities on a look-squad team to kind of service our defense.
“He’s been improved as a route runner and does a really good job of trying to find ways for me just to get him to maximize his skill set and ability. When you’re a large, powerful man, use it to your advantage. Like so, football is a violent game and it rewards those who play it violently, so use it to your advantage.”
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As a member of the 53-man roster, Dippre could make his NFL debut on Sunday, when the Patriots play the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dippre might already have made his NFL debut had he entertained offers from other teams. Practice-squad players can be signed by another team, but they have to be added to the active roster of their new squad.
Dippre said he had had opportunities to leave New England this season.
“There were other teams that were interested in signing me,” Dippre said, “and I didn’t really want to leave. They didn’t really want me to leave, so it was kind of a thing that I wanted to stay here, earn my right here and play here. I know all these guys, love this team, love the coaching staff.”
The Patriots and Bengals kick off at noon CST Sunday at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. New England has won eight consecutive games to reach 9-2 this season while the Bengals have a 3-7 record.
Being eligible to play doesn’t mean Dippre will make his NFL debut against Cincinnati.
The Patriots signed Dippre from their practice squad on Monday after Austin Hooper, their No. 2 tight end, missed their previous game because of a concussion. However, Hooper returned to practice fully on Thursday and Friday.
While each team has 53 active players, only 48 players can be used in a game. And that number drops to 47 if at least eight players are not offensive linemen.
Which 48 players get on the field isn’t a decision made during the game. Each team must declare which of its active-roster players will not play at least 90 minutes before kickoff.
If Dippre makes it onto the field, he will become the 71st Alabama alumnus to play in the 2025 NFL season.
For nine consecutive seasons, Alabama has had more of its former players appear in NFL regular-season games than had played in the previous season. That continued increase in representation has allowed the Crimson Tide program to establish the record for the most players from one college to participate in a single NFL season.
In the 2024 campaign, 75 former Alabama players appeared in at least one NFL regular-season game – three more than played in 2023.
In 2016, 38 former Alabama players appeared in at least one NFL regular-season game – one fewer than had played in 2015.
In 2017, the number rose to 44, surpassing the school’s single-season NFL high of 40 in 1987. The 1987 season featured a player strike and three weeks of football with replacement players.
In 2018, the Alabama alumni who played in the NFL reached 52. The participation number rose to 62 in 2019, then increased to 64 in 2020, 68 in 2021, 70 in 2022 and 72 in 2023.
This season, both Alabama and Ohio State have had 70 of their former players appear in NFL regular-season games.
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