The New England Patriots need to release more than 25 players from their active roster between now and 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
But there's a chance several of those players could stick around in New England.
NFL teams are allowed to carry up to 16 players on their practice squad, which consists of players who aren't on the 53-man roster but practice with the team during the regular season and can be elevated to the active roster up to three times in a season.
While 10 of those 16 players can't have more than two seasons of NFL service time, the other six spots have no restrictions, meaning veterans can wind up on the practice squad if they go through waivers without being signed by another team.