Former Alabama DB Jared Mayden to begin rookie season on NFL practice squad
By SDS Staff
Published:
Former Alabama defensive back Jared Mayden will begin his NFL rookie season on the practice squad.
The San Francisco 49ers waived Mayden as part of 53-man roster cuts this weekend and have re-signed him as part of the team’s practice squad. After going undrafted, Mayden fielded offers from multiple teams, including the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals, and decided to sign with San Francisco.
Undrafted free agents like Mayden had an even more challenging path to making the 53-man roster this year with NFL camps reduced and preseason games axed due to COVID-19. Other COVID-19 measures, however, could give practice squad players such as Mayden a better chance at appearing in regular-season games in 2020. The NFL has expanded practice squads from 10 to 16 players and is allowing each team to add two players from the practice squad onto the active roster for any game to expand to a 55-man roster.
A former 4-star recruit, Mayden signed with the Crimson Tide in the 2016 class. The Sachse, Texas native played in a total of 36 games, with 25 of those games coming the past two seasons. Over four seasons, he totaled 82 tackles, including 3 for loss, 1 sack. He recorded 10 total passes defended, including a team-leading 4 interceptions.
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