Eight Auburn alumni who were waived or released by NFL teams on Tuesday returned to the league on Wednesday as practice-squad members.

The returning players included two selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, with fifth-round defensive back Jaylin Simpson rejoining the Indianapolis Colts and seventh-round defensive tackle Marcus Harris returning to the Houston Texans.

Each NFL team had to reduce its 90-player preseason roster to the regular-season limit of 53 active players on Tuesday, and none of the Alabama alumni waived or released were claimed or signed by other teams.

Each NFL team could begin assembling a 16-player practice squad (17 if the team has an International Pathway player) 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.

On Wednesday, 29 of the 32 NFL teams announced at least partial practice-squad rosters, with these former Auburn players among those signed:

· Byron Cowart, defensive lineman, Chicago Bears.

· Marcus Harris, defensive tackle (Park Crossing), Houston Texans.

· Shedrick Jackson, wide receiver (Hoover), Cincinnati Bengals.

· John Samuel Shenker, tight end, Las Vegas Raiders.

· Jaylin Simpson, cornerback, Indianapolis Colts.

· Ro Torrence, cornerback (Bessemer City), Chicago Bears.

· Chandler Wooten, linebacker, Carolina Panthers.

· Kilian Zierer, offensive tackle, Houston Texans.

Each player returned to the team that had waived or released him on Tuesday.

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