Michael Jordan began September with consecutive starts as an elevation.
After consecutive elevations and starts, Michael Jordan’s time on the practice squad is over.
The New England Patriots officially promoted the veteran guard to the 53-man roster amid a series of moves on Monday.
Jordan, 26, played all 133 offensive snaps to begin the 2024 regular season. He reverted last week after filling in at left guard for injured incumbent Sidy Sow. One standard call-up remained for the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Ohio State product. One roster spot did, too, on the heels of tackle Chukwuma Okorafor being sent to the left squad list.
Entering the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2019 class at No. 136 overall, Jordan stands 57 appearances, including 31 starts, into his career. Following stops with the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers, he signed a futures contract in Foxborough and made the initial active roster before being released.
In follow-up transactions, the Patriots have signed defensive backs D.J. James and Mark Perry to the practice squad after both rookies visited for workouts. Linebacker Yvandy Rigby and safety A.J. Thomas have been released to make room among the group of 17.
James, 23, was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2024 draft at No. 192 overall. The 6-foot, 175-pound cornerback was waived at the deadline in August. Starting his collegiate run at Oregon and ending it at Auburn, James appeared in 56 games. He finished with 38 tackles, a pair of interceptions and a team-high 10 pass breakups last fall. The former second-team All-SEC selection ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Perry, 23, went undrafted in April after playing in 53 games between his time at Colorado and Texas Christian. The 6-foot, 213-pound safety, who earned an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl as well as an All-Big 12 honorable mention, spent training camp with the Miami Dolphins. Waived during the league’s cutdown, he started September on the practice squad of the Houston Texans and was released last week.
Rigby, 24, had signed to the practice squad to begin the fall after entering the league with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted rookie in May. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker cleared waivers at the end of the preseason. A Temple product, Rigby played in 35 games while totaling 207 tackles, four sacks, six passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Thomas, 24, was among New England’s practice players of the week following the opener. The 6-foot-2, 214-pound safety signed to the scout team after arriving amid training camp. Undrafted out of Western Michigan in 2022, Thomas logged parts of the past two years between the practice squad and active roster of the Chicago Bears. He saw action in six games before joining the Birmingham Stallions and tying for the UFL lead with three interceptions.
The New York Jets host Thursday’s 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff at MetLife Stadium.