Chiefs tight end among 14 Alabama alumni who came off NFL rosters Tuesday

Since entering the NFL as second-round selection inthe 2019 draft, tight end Irv Smith Jr. has played in 49 of 83 games and caught 109 passes for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns.

His time off the field included the entire 2021 season, when a knee injury had him sidelined. A free-agent move from the Minnesota Vikings to the Cincinnati Bengals last season didn’t produced the desired boost as he had 18 receptions for 115 yards and one touchdown in 2023.

Smith was on the move again this offseason, when hesigned with the Kansas City Chiefs. But on Tuesday, the Chiefs released Smith.

Each NFL had to reduce its 90-player preseason rosterto the regular-season limit of 53 active players on Tuesday, and Smith was among 14 Alabama alumni who lost their roster spots in the cuts.

The former Alabama players who were waived on Tuesday included:

· Marcus Banks, safety: By the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

· Shyheim Carter, defensive back: By the Tennessee Titans.

· Miller Forristall, tight end: By the Los Angeles Rams.

·Tyler Harrell, wide receiver: By the New YorkJets.

· Josh Jobe, cornerback: By the Philadelphia Eagles.

· Jaylen Key, defensive back (UAB): By the New York Jets.

·Cameron Latu, tight end: By the San Francisco 49ers.

· Alex Leatherwood, offensive lineman: By the Los Angeles Chargers.

· Shane Lee, linebacker: By the Los Angeles Chargers.

· Terrell Lewis, outside linebacker, Alabama: By the Philadelphia Eagles.

· Tyrell Shavers, wide receiver: By the Buffalo Bills.

The former Alabama players who were released on Tuesday included:

· Tony Brown, cornerback: By the Cleveland Browns.

·Kareem Jackson, safety: By the BuffaloBills.

· Irv Smith Jr., tight end: By the Kansas City Chiefs.

The players join safety Ronnie Harrison, who was released by the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The players who were waived can by claimed by anyother team in the league before 11 a.m. CDT Wednesday. Waiver claims are processed in the same order as the 2024 NFL Draft before any trades were made.

Waived players who go unclaimed become free to signwith any team. Players who were released do not have to pass through the waiverprocess.

Each NFL team can begin assembling its 16-playerpractice squad 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.

Five former Alabama players were placed on reservelists on Tuesday, and all could be eligible to play at some point during the2024 season.

Houston Texans linebacker Christian Harris, AtlantaFalcons safety DeMarcco Hellams and Jacksonville Jaguars running back KeilanRobinson were placed on injured reserve, but were designated to return. They will have to miss at least the first four games of the season.

The same goes for New England Patriots defensivetackle Christian Barmore and Denver Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders. Barmore is on reserve/non-football injury after being treated for blood clots during training camp, and Sanders is on reserve/physically unable to perform after sufferinga torn Achilles tendon in May.

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Mark Inabinett is a sportsreporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at@AMarkG1.