As part of new COVID-19 protocols, the NFL changed its roster restrictions this season to allow every team the ability to protect four players on its expanded 16-man practice squad.
The idea behind the new rule is to give teams insurance for a coronavirus outbreak, guaranteeing that key fill-ins will be available if a late-week promotion is needed.
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"A lot of the protection might be in the case where at the end of the week, maybe you’ve put in a gameplan, you’ve kind of grinded through the week and then other teams might come in and try to grab your guys off your practice squad, particularly the team that you’re playing that week, and try to see what they know," Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia explained last week.