Da’Shawn Hand could play in an NFL regular-season game for the first time in more than a year when the Miami Dolphins square off against the New England Patriots on Sunday night.

On Saturday, the Dolphins announced they had signed Hand to their 53-player active roster. Hand spent the first week of the 2023 NFL season on Miami’s practice squad.

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To clear a roster spot for Hand, the Dolphins waived safety Verone McKinley III.

Hand played two defensive snaps in the Tennessee Titans’ 21-20 loss to the New York Giants on Sept. 11, 2022, and that accounted for all his action last season. Hand sustained a torn quadriceps muscle in Tennessee’ season-opening game.

Hand was an unrestricted free agent from March 15 until signing with the Dolphins on Aug. 6.

A fourth-round draft choice from Alabama in 2018, Hand made the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team for the 2018 NFL season, when he played in 13 of the Detroit Lions’ 16 games.

Since then, Hand has played in 18 of 66 regular-season games. He’s been placed on injured reserve six times in his five NFL seasons.

Former Alabama teammate Raekwon Davis is Miami’s starting nose tackle. Hand and Davis played together with the Crimson Tide in 2016 and 2017.

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The Dolphins and Patriots will play at 7:20 p.m. CDT Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. NBC will televise the game.

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