The Denver Broncos have protected three practice squad players for Week 3, according to the NFL’s transaction wire.
Brett Rypien was protected and he will likely continue being protected each week this season as the team’s third-string quarterback.
Austin Schlottmann was also protected, likely in case fellow guard Graham Glasgow (illness) is not able to play on Sunday.
For the third straight week, running back Damarea Crockett was also protected.
NFL teams can elevate two practice squad players to the game day roster each week and those players are eligible to revert back to the practice squad without having to clear waivers up to two times per season.
Because Crockett has already been elevated twice this season, he would be subject to the waiver wire next week if the Broncos elevate him again for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.
Teams are allowed to protect four players per week, so only protecting three players might be a sign that a practice squad player is a candidate to get promoted to the 53-man roster this week, removing the need to protect him.
One potential candidate to get promoted to the active roster could be linebacker Curtis Robinson following Josey Jewell’s season-ending injury.
The unprotected players on Denver’s practice squad are eligible to leave the team to join another team’s active roster. The protected players can’t be poached by other teams this week.
