SUMMERFIELD, MD — Darlington native Alex Erickson will begin his seventh season in the National Football League as a member of the Washington Commanders’ practice squad.
After being cut from the team during the final roster cut down on Tuesday afternoon, the 2011 graduate of Darlington High School signed on to the Commanders’ 15-man practice squad on Wednesday.
Practice squad players generally operate as part of the scout team during practice days, but NFL teams have found creative ways to use the practice squad, usually stashing players who they think may have long-term value, or veterans who fit as insurance for game-day rosters in case of injury.
Players who are on the practice squad can be placed on the active/game day roster no more than three times during the regular season. Only two practice squad players may be eligible to play on game day. Usually, these players are a body that fills out the 48-man game day active roster.
In the event that a player is made active on game day a fourth time, then they must be signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.
Additionally, players who are on a team’s practice squad can sign with another NFL team at any point during the season — unless they are one of four players protected by the team — but they may not sign a contract with another team’s practice squad. The signing team must sign the player to a 53-man roster spot.
Erickson, a 6’0”, 195-lbs. wide receiver/kick returner, has never missed a game in his six-year NFL career, appearing in all 97 games over that span with 14 starts. He has recorded 96 catches for 1,141 yards (12.9 ypc.) and a touchdown, while rushing 18 times for 78 yards (4.3 ypc.) and completing 1-of-2 passes for 26 yards.
Where Erickson, 29, has excelled in his pro career is on special teams, where he has registered 110 kickoff returns for 2,729 yards (24.8 ypc.) and 158 punt returns for 1,278 yards (8.1 ypc.). He has also made nine tackles in his career.
Going undrafted following a successful career at the University of Wisconsin, Erickson — the son of Mike and Linda Erickson — signed with the Cincinnati Bengals and spent five years with the organization before parting ways with the team following the 2020 season.
After getting cut by the Houston Texans during training camp in 2021, Erickson signed a one-year deal with Carolina and spent the entire 2021 with the Panthers serving primarily as a punt returner.
In the off-season, he signed with Washington and was the team’s leading receiver in the pre-season games, hauling in 10 catches for 136 yards in their three games. He also returned two kickoffs for 36 yards and four punts for 40 yards.
The Commanders open the 2022 regular season at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Sept. 11.
