The New England Patriots have used practice-squad protections for wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson, defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale, tight end Matt LaCosse and safety Sean Davis in Week 18.
It’s the first time Bill Belichick has ever used the protections since they were introduced at the beginning of the pandemic when the NFL expanded the practice squad for the 2020 season. From 2019 and earlier, NFL teams were allowed to freely sign players off other teams’ practice squads. But in 2020 and 2021, the Patriots (and other teams) can place these weekly protections to stop other teams from taking away their players.