Former Alabama linebacker starts practice with Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Drew Sanders practiced for the first time with his teammates on Wednesday.

The Broncos placed Sanders on the physically-unable-to-perform list when they convened for training camp in July. Sanders tore an Achilles tendon during Denver’s offseason workouts.

Sanders’ practice appearance opens a 21-day window during which the Broncos can restore the linebacker to the 53-player active roster. If Denver does not put Sanders on its active roster during that period, he will stay on the PUP list for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Sanders played at Alabama in the 2020 and 2021 seasons before transferring to Arkansas for 2022 and joining the Broncos in 2023 as the 67th selection in the NFL Draft.

As a rookie, Sanders played in all 17 of Denver’s games, with four starts. He was on the field for 258 defensive snaps (23 percent of the Broncos’ total) and 297 special-teams plays. Sanders made 24 tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and recovered one fumble.

Sanders began practice on the heels of the Broncos’ trade of outside linebacker Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. Browning had started two games for Denver this season.

Two other players with Alabama football roots returned to NFL rosters on Wednesday.

Defensive tackle Travis Bell (Jeff Davis, now known as J.A.G.) joined the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. The first player drafted from Kennesaw State when he joined the Chicago Bears in the seventh round in 2023, Bell played in two games for the Atlanta Falcons last season. After going through the offseason, training camp and preseason with the Cincinnati Bengals, Bell was on the Bears’ practice squad until being released on Oct. 15.

Outside linebacker Jamie Sheriff (South Alabama) returned to the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad. Sheriff made his NFL debut as an undrafted rookie in the Carolina Panthers’ season-opening game. Carolina had claimed Sheriff off waivers after he’d been let go by the Seahawks at the end of the preseason. When the Panthers waived Sheriff on Sept. 10, Seattle picked him up for its practice squad. He played in one game as a practice-squad elevation but was released on Oct. 30.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

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