The Indianapolis Colts announced that they’ve signed defensive end Derek Rivers to the practice squad on Tuesday afternoon.
The reason that this move was made was because the New England Patriots signed defensive end Titus Leo off of the Colts’ practice squad and onto their 53-man roster, which created an opening for Indianapolis.
Rivers had spent most of this season on the Colts’ practice squad. He was released a week ago to make room for offensive tackle Mason Brooks to be added.
Rivers is a former third-round selection by New England back in 2017. He’s played 336 career defensive snaps and another 119 on special teams, according to Pro Football Focus.
He joined the Colts in the latter half of training camp this summer when the team was dealing with injuries at defensive end, and was released during cutdowns before being signed to the practice squad. Rivers also spent time on the Colts practice squad late in the 2023 season as well.
His most recent regular season NFL snaps came in 2021 while with the Houston Texans. In 24 career games, Rivers has recorded 14 pressures, four sacks, and 27 total tackles, five of which were for a loss.
Adding Rivers back to the mix reinforces the Colts’ defensive end depth on the team after losing Leo.
