James Brockermeyer’s first NFL stop lasted only a few weeks. On Monday, the Atlanta Falcons released the former Alabama offensive lineman from their practice squad, ending a brief stay that began when he signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 draft.
The move was announced via the NFL transaction wire.
For Crimson Tide fans, the move is another reminder of how long and winding the path can be for a player who once arrived in Tuscaloosa as a four-star center.
Brockermeyer committed to Nick Saban’s Alabama program out of All Saints Episcopal in Fort Worth, Texas, alongside twin brother Tommy. He was rated among the top centers in the 2021 class and chose the Crimson Tide over Texas, Auburn and LSU.
He never became a starter in Tuscaloosa. Brockermeyer redshirted in 2021, appeared in two games in 2022 — including the Sugar Bowl — and played in all 14 games in 2023, mostly on special teams with occasional mop-up snaps at center.
He left after Saban retired, first transferring to TCU for 2024, then to Miami for 2025.
At Miami he started every game, earned All-ACC honors and was named a first-team All-American while helping the Hurricanes reach the College Football Playoff national championship.
Atlanta liked the tape enough to give him a UDFA deal with $230,000 guaranteed. He generated buzz in OTAs, even taking first-team center snaps when Ryan Neuzil was out, and offensive line coach Bill Callahan praised his command.
Still, he was waived at final cuts, signed back to the practice squad, and now has been cut from that unit two weeks into the regular season.
The Falcons already had veterans Ryan Neuzil and Corey Levin on the 53-man roster. Releasing Brockermeyer frees a practice-squad spot and puts him on the open market.
At 6-foot-3 and about 295 pounds, he has never been a prototype athlete, but scouts have long praised his intelligence, balance and reliability — traits that once made him a high-upside recruit for Alabama.
For Crimson Tide followers, his story is familiar: a highly touted interior lineman who developed more slowly than hoped in a crowded offensive line room, then found his game elsewhere.
He still has NFL pedigree — his father, Blake Brockermeyer, was a first-round tackle out of Texas and a nine-year pro — and he is only 24.
Practice-squad cuts this early often lead to another opportunity. Whether Brockermeyer lands with another team or works his way back, Alabama fans who watched him in crimson will recognize the same profile: smart, sturdy, and still chasing the starting job that never quite opened in Tuscaloosa.
