NFL Suspends Patriots DT Daniel Ekuale

Patriots defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale‘s season is now set to begin late. The NFL gave the young interior defender a two-game suspension Monday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Ekuale frequently earned late-week promotions onto the Patriots’ active roster, bouncing between their practice squad and 55-man game-day contingent last season. The Pats gave the former Washington State D-lineman a reserve/futures contract in January.

After starting five games with the Jaguars in 2020, Ekuale did not last into the team’s Urban Meyer-led regular season. The Jags waived him ahead of last season, but Ekuale landed on the Patriots’ taxi squad soon after. In seven Pats games featuring just 99 defensive snaps, Ekuale registered two sacks.

This will be the American Samoa native’s age-28 season. He is set to make $965K in base salary. This suspension stands to hurt Ekuale’s chances with the Patriots, though his practice squad performance last season obviously works in his favor ahead of his second year with the team.

 

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