Taniela Tupou is back in the NFL.
The Archbishop Murphy High School graduate is back on an NFL 53-man roster after being signed by the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday. The defensive lineman had been on Atlanta’s practice squad.
Tupou, who graduated from the University of Washington in 2016, signed as a rookie free agent with the Seattle Seahawks last season with the intention of converting from defensive tackle to fullback, and he broke camp with the team, appearing in one game before being waived. He was not signed by another NFL team the remainder of the season.
Tupou received an invitation to attend Atlanta’s rookie minicamp in May and earned a place on the Falcons’ 90-man offseason roster as a defensive lineman. He was cut just before the season began, but was signed to Atlanta’s practice squad in Week 3.
The Falcons were in need of additional depth on the defensive line. Defensive tackle Jack Crawford was placed on injured reserve last week with a bicep injury, while pass-rushing linebacker Vic Beasley (hamstring) and defensive end Courtney Upshaw (ankle/knee) have also missed games.
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