Numerous former Penn State football players have found new homes before the NFL regular season kicks off on September 5.
All 32 teams cut their rosters to 53 players on Tuesday, resulting in 15 former PSU athletes looking for different teams.
The Buffalo Bills re-signed former Broncos second-round pick, wide receiver KJ Hamler to the practice squad. NFL practice squads are expanding to 16 players this season, including four veterans.
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.
Two years ago, Hamler played in seven games, 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.
Bills running back KJ Hamler
— Jaret Gold (@JaretGold) August 24, 2024
Buffalo also re-signed sixth-round pick Daequan Hardy. It was a bit of a surprise the Bills released the cornerback and return specialist during roster cutdowns, but retained the Pittsburgh native. Hardy returned two punts for touchdowns at Beaver Stadium last year against UMass.
Another Penn State selection from this April’s draft, Kalen King re-joined the Green Bay Packers on their practice squad. King showed flashes of potential during preseason action despite a surprising fall in the draft process.
One of the longest tenured and most accomplished Penn State quarterbacks of the last century, Sean Clifford continues the trend of players being cut by their NFL team, but remaining on the practice squad.
A fifth rounder two years ago, Clifford won the 2023 Rose Bowl Offensive MVP at Penn State in a monumental win against Utah, only the second Rose Bowl victory in Penn State history. Clifford backed up Packers star Jordan Love last season, but Green Bay traded for Titans QB Malik Willis before roster cutdowns.
The New England Patriots claimed linebacker Curtis Jacobs off waivers. Jacobs had a terrific camp in Kansas City with two tackles for loss and a noticeable presence around the football for PFF. The 6-foot-1 linebacker was undrafted this year and continues in the NFL after a strong college career as a player and vocal leader.
The Patriots have claimed LB Curtis Jacobs off of waivers from the Chiefs. This preseason:
🔵 79.6 run defense grade
🔴 3 run stops
🔵 2 TFLs pic.twitter.com/K9CqlCYunG— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) August 28, 2024
Carolina joined in on the fun of adding former Nittany Lions on Wednesday when they claimed cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields. One of the most tenured pros representing Penn State, Allen Robinson joined the Lions practice squad this week. Robinson was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and was cut following the 2023 campaign. He caught 34 passes for 280 yards but no touchdowns, playing in all 17 games. Robinson was most valuable to the Steelers as a leader in the locker room and solid piece for a young wide reliever core.
The NFL season begins next Thursday when Donovan Smith and the two-time defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs host Odafe Oweh and the Baltimore Ravens on NBC.
