Although many former Penn State players found their way onto 53-man rosters this season, others didn’t have.
All 32 NFL teams had until 4 p.m. Tuesday to trim their rosters to the initial 53 to start the year.
Former PSU lettermen, including quarterback Sean Clifford (Green Bay Packers), wide receiver KJ Hamler (Buffalo Bills), plus cornerbacks Kalen King (Packers), Amani Oruwariye (Tennessee Titans), Daequan Hardy (Bills), and Tariq Castro-Fields (Philadelphia Eagles), were cut.
Members of the 2024 Nittany Lions who were cut include cornerback Jalen Kimber (Titans), offensive lineman Sal Wormley (Jacksonville Jaguars), as well as defensive linemen Coziah Izzard (Chiefs) and Dvon J-Thomas (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
Hamler is Penn State’s most high-profile former player to be cut. The 2020 second-round pick spent three years in Denver from 2020 to 2022, but hasn’t played in a game since.
Hamler caught seven passes for 165 yards in seven games in 2022 but was cut in July 2023 after being diagnosed with pericarditis. The diagnosis revealed a condition affecting tissue around Hamler’s heart.
Per Bills reporter Alex Brasky, Buffalo will not be bringing Hamler onto the practice squad. The Bills announced that Hardy will return on their 16-man practice squad roster.
The man under center for Penn State’s Rose Bowl win, Sean Clifford, won’t return to the Packers. Green Bay waived its 2023 fifth-rounder. Clifford appeared in two games during the 2023 season but never attempted a pass. He confirmed the news on Instagram on Wednesday.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Oruwariye played seven games in Dallas last season and recorded 29 tackles, two passes defended, and one tackle for loss. Oruwariye was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
King is reportedly re-signing with the Packers’ practice squad. Green Bay selected King in the seventh round last year and didn’t appear in a game. The Eagles waived Castro-Fields with an injury designation due to a hamstring issue.
Better news came for the 2024-25 alums.
Kimber is signing with the Bills’ practice squad after agreeing to a deal in Tennessee as an undefeated free agent.
The Jaguars are bringing Wormley back to the practice squad following a successful training camp. Wormley played 96 snaps without allowing a sack, tied for third-best among all rookies.
Izzard is reportedly back in Kansas City, joining the Chiefs’ practice squad roster.
It’s not known if J-Thomas will continue his NFL career with the Bucs or another franchise this year.
The NFL season begins Thursday, September 4, with Saquon Barkley and the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting Micah Parsons – if his contract situation is worked out – and the Dallas Cowboys.
