The Las Vegas Raiders signed John Samuel Shenker to their active roster on Saturday, the NFL team announced, putting the former Auburn tight end in line to make his NFL debut on Sunday.
Shenker joined Las Vegas as an undrafted rookie in May 2023. He has been with the team for most of the intervening time, but he has never played in an NFL regular-season game. The Raiders play the Cleveland Browns at 3:25 p.m. CDT Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Last year after releasing Shenker in the roster reduction between the preseason and the regular season, the Raiders signed the tight end to their practice squad. He spent most of the season there, although he was released twice, and that allowed him to spend a week on the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad.
This season, Shenker again was released at the end of the preseason and re-signed for the practice squad.
While Shenker moved from a practice squad to an active roster on Saturday, two other former Auburn players were elevated from NFL practice squads to make them eligible to play on Sunday.
By elevating Angelo Blackson to active status, the Arizona Cardinals put the defensive tackle in position to appear in a 10th NFL season when they play the Washington Commanders at 3:05 p.m. CDT Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
For the third time in four games, the Chicago Bears have elevated defensive tackle Byron Cowart from their practice squad to active status. He played in Chicago’s 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans in the season-opening game on Sept. 8 and in Sunday’s 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bears play the Los Angeles Rams at noon CDT Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago.
After Sunday, if Cowart plays again this season for the Bears, he will have to be a member of the active roster. Each NFL team can elevate two members of its practice squad to active status for each game, but a player cannot be elevated more than three times.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
