At least 15 former Penn State football players are looking for new homes after being casualties of the cutdown. The most notable players include quarterbacks Sean Clifford (Green Bay Packers) and Trace McSorley (Washington Commanders), wide receivers KJ Hamler (Buffalo Bills), Allen Robinson (New York Giants), and Mitchell Tinsley (Commanders), plus linebacker Curtis Jacobs (Chiefs), and safety Adrian Amos (Jacksonville Jaguars).
Defensive players cut include defensive tackle PJ Mutsipher (Philadelphia Eagles), linebacker Brandon Smith (Eagles), cornerbacks Amani Oruwariye (Jaguars), Tariq Castro-Fields (Commanders), Daequan Hardy (Bills) and Kalen King (Packers) and safeties Keaton Ellis (Tennessee Titans) and Jonathan Southerland (Giants).
The Commanders (three) cut the most former Penn State players of any team. The Eagles, Giants, Packers, Bills, and Jaguars cut two.Â
Hamler, a 2020 second-round pick of Denver, is the highest-selected player to be released. The 25-year-old speedster played well against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason, but hasn’t seen game action since 2022, being plagued by health issues.
Hamler played in seven games two years ago, catching seven passes for 165 yards. Over 23 games (six starts), Hamler owns 42 receptions for 620 yards (17-yard average), and three touchdowns, all during his rookie season.
The 2023 Rose Bowl Offensive MVP, Clifford threw for 207 yards, one touchdown and one interception this preseason. A 2023 fifth-round pick, Clifford completed one pass for 37 yards in Green Bay last season backing up start quarterback Jordan Love. Clifford is one of the most surprising players to be cut before the season, but became expendable when the Packers acquired Titans QB Malik Willis.
McSorley continues to bounce around the NFL since joining the league as a sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2019. NFL Network insider Ian Rapaport said Tuesday that McSorley was impressed in camp and could soon return to the Commanders roster. The practice squad remains a viable option for McSorley. NFL practice squads expand to include four veterans. McSorley played in six games in Arizona last year, making one start, and completed 54% of his passes for 412 yards but five interceptions.Â
Amos, 31, joined the Chicago Bears as a 2015 fifth-round selection and spent eight years in the NFC North (Bears and Packers) before joining the Jets and Texans in 2023. Amos owns 664 career tackles, 10 interceptions, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Six of eight PSU’s 2024 NFL Draft picks made the 53-man roster including obvious calls in first rounder tackle Olu Fashanu (Jets) and pass rusher Chop Robinson (Miami Dolphins).
Penn State begins the season in Morgantown against West Virginia at noon.
