Former Alabama linebacker Terrell Lewis returned to the NFL on Wednesday when he joined the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad.

During the Saints’ 16-15 victory over the Tennessee Titans in their season-opening game on Sunday, New Orleans defensive end Payton Turner sustained a turf-toe injury. The Saints placed Turner on injured reserve on Wednesday, moved defensive end Kyle Phillips from the practice squad to the active roster and signed Lewis to add a pass-rusher to the practice squad.

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Each NFL team can elevate two members of its practice squad to active status for each game.

New Orleans plays the Carolina Panthers at 6:15 p.m. CDT Monday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. ESPN will televise the game.

Lewis played in 11 games for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, his third NFL season. He had 13 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, two passes defended and his first NFL interception while getting on the field for 332 defensive snaps and 14 special-teams plays with Los Angeles last season.

With the Chicago Bears this year, Lewis was on the 53-player active roster when the team reduced its preseason roster on Aug. 28 to meet the NFL’s regular-season limit. During the preseason, Lewis had recorded three sacks, including two that forced fumbles.

But the day after the roster cuts, the Bears were awarded two players off waivers, and Lewis was one of the players let go by Chicago to create the roster space for the waiver claims.

Lewis signed with the Saints after working out for the team on Tuesday.

A third-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Lewis started his rookie season on the reserve/non-football injury list. He was recovering from knee surgery, a precautionary procedure undertaken because of infection concerns from his previous knee operation after a torn anterior cruciate ligament at Alabama in 2018.

Once he made his debut in the fifth game of the Rams’ 2020 season, Lewis played in eight games, registered five tackles and recorded two sacks in 124 defensive snaps as a rookie.

Halfway through the 2021 NFL season, Los Angeles acquired eight-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Von Miller from the Denver Broncos, and the pass-rusher helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI. But his acquisition also sent Lewis to the sidelines. Lewis had started the three games before Miller took over his spot in the lineup. Lewis did not play in the final six games of the regular season or Los Angeles’ four playoff games in 2021.

Lewis made three straight starts in November for the Rams last season, then was inactive for two games because of a back injury before being released.

Lewis joined the Bears on Dec. 24, although he didn’t play for Chicago last season.

In 30 NFL regular-season games, including seven starts, Lewis has 40 tackles, six sacks, eight tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, three passes defended, one interception and one forced fumble. He’s been on the field for 823 defensive snaps and 19 special-teams plays.

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