Nine players from Alabama high schools and colleges landed on injured reserve in the NFL on Tuesday. But because of a new rule, six already know they’ll be coming back this season to play for their current team.
On Tuesday, each NFL team was required to reduce its preseason roster to the 53 players on its regular-season active roster. Players on injured reserve do not count against the 53.
Before this year, players placed on injured reserve without appearing among the inaugural 53 could not return to play in that season. This year, the NFL allowed each team to designate two injured-reserve players for return without first having to appear on the cut-day 53.
Players placed on injured reserve on Tuesday with a designation to return in the 2025 season included:
Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State)
Los Angeles Chargers long snapper Josh Harris (Auburn)
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Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Cedric Johnson (Davidson)
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Jalen McLeod (Auburn)
Carolina Panthers defensive end LaBryan Ray (James Clemens, Alabama)
Denver Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders (Alabama)
But for three other players with Alabama football roots, Tuesday’s injured-reserve designation could end their season. Players placed on injured reserve without the designation to return included:
New York Jets defensive tackle Byron Cowart (Auburn)
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Caleb Ransaw (Sparkman, Troy)
Houston Texans tight end Irv Smith Jr. (Alabama)
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Cowart and Smith have ankle injuries. Ransaw’s ailment was termed “a lower-body injury” during training camp. NFL teams are not required to provide injury information until the regular season begins.
Cowart and Smith have been in the NFL since the 2019 season, but Ransaw was a third-round selection in the NFL Draft on April 25.
These players will be able to play in the 2025 season only if released with an injury settlement. That will make them free agents when they are healthy enough to play again.
An injury settlement occurs when the team and player agree on how long the injury would likely keep him sidelined. The player gets the portion of his salary for those weeks, then is released from injured reserve, leaving the team.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
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