Offensive lineman D.J. Fluker returned to the NFL on Wednesday as he started practice with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Fluker completed a six-game, NFL-imposed suspension on Tuesday, and he joined the Raiders’ practice squad on Wednesday.
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Fluker became the ninth former Alabama player on the Las Vegas roster. Running backs Kenyan Drake and Josh Jacobs, offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood, wide receiver Henry Ruggs III and nose tackle Damion Square are on the Raiders’ active roster. Fluker joined cornerback Tony Brown, guard Lester Cotton and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on Las Vegas’ practice squad.
Players on the practice squad practice with their teams, but they are not eligible to play in games – with two exceptions.
Each team is allowed to elevate two players from its practice squad to its active roster for every game, although no player can be elevated more than twice during the season (unless the call up is for COVID-19 reasons). After the game, the elevated players revert to their practice-squad status without having to pass through waivers.
Fluker signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins during the offseason. Miami placed Fluker on injured reserve on July 29 and released the offensive lineman four days later with an injury settlement after he’d had meniscus surgery.
The NFL made no announcement of Fluker’s suspension and the reason for the disciplinary action. But the league did announce his reinstatement on Tuesday.
Fluker was the 11th player picked in the 2013 NFL Draft. Last season, he played in every game and started half the schedule for the Baltimore Ravens.
In eight NFL seasons, Fluker has played in 108 regular-season games with 96 starts while playing for the San Diego Chargers, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks and Ravens. He has played guard and tackle, usually on the right side, during his NFL career.
One other Alabama alumnus appeared on the NFL transaction report on Wednesday. The Detroit Lions announced defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand had been designated for return from injured reserve and would get back to practice with the team after being sidelined by a groin injury.
The Lions will have 21 days to decide whether to restore Hand to the active roster or leave him on IR for the rest of the season. Hand has been on injured reserve since the start of the 2021 season.
A fourth-round choice in the 2018 NFL Draft, Hand’s career has been bedeviled by injuries. He has played in 26 games and missed 28 during his career.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.