11 Former Cards Reach 2024 NFL Playoffs

Nearly a dozen former Louisville football players have a shot at winning the Lombardi Trophy.

Jan 4, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) makes a pass during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Almost as quickly as it began, another National Football League regular season is in the books, and the NFL Playoffs are now back.

14 teams - seven teams from each conference - will get the action started this Saturday with Wild Card Weekend. Following the Divisional Round and Conference Championship Weekend, Super Bowl LIX will take place on February 9, 2025 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

As you can expect, several former Cardinals will be competing for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy. Heading into the playoffs, 11 former Louisville football players are on active, reserve or practice squad rosters for the 14 teams that clinched playoff berths:

• CB Jaire Alexander - Green Bay Packers
• WR Tutu Atwell - Los Angeles Rams
• OL Mekhi Becton - Philadelphia Eagles
• QB Teddy Bridgewater - Detroit Lions
• QB Malik Cunningham - Baltimore Ravens
• OLB YaYa Diaby - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• WR Dez Fitzpatrick - Los Angeles Chargers
• OLB Jonathan Greenard - Minnesota Vikings
• QB Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens
• RB Jawhar Jordan - Houston Texans
• S Russ Yeast - Houston Texans

Fitzpatrick and the Chargers will do battle against Jordan, Yeast and the Texans to get Wild Card Weekend started, with kickoff from Houston slated for on Saturday, January 11 at 4:30 p.m. on CBS. In year one under head coach Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles finished with an 11-6 record to clinch the No. 5 seed in the AFC. As for Houston, they had a bit of a slump in year two under head coach DeMeco Ryans, but still went 10-7 to win the AFC South and secure the No. 4 seed in the conference.

Fitzpatrick has spent nearly the entire 2024 season on the Chargers' practice squad. He was elevated for Los Angeles' regular season finale against the Raiders, but logged no stats.

Jordan was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Texans, but was waived with an injury designation during final preseason cuts. He was resigned to Houston's practice squad in late October, where he was remained ever since.

Yeast has played for four different organizations this season. He started the year with the Los Angeles Rams, was waived and signed by the Carolina Panthers, waived again and picked up by the Arizona Cardinals, then released and signed by the Texans. He has played in three games - one for the Rams and two for the Panthers - but logged no stats.

Jackson, Cunningham and the Ravens wrap up the first day of Wild Card Weekend with a home showdown against their hated division rival, the sixth-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers, on Saturday, January 11 at 8:00 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video. Despite starting 0-2, Baltimore was able to rally for a 12-5 record, winning the AFC South and earning the No. 3 seed.

Already a two-time NFL MVP, Jackson is in the midst of his best season at the professional level, and is firmly back in MVP discussions. Starting all 16 of the Ravens' games so far this season, he has completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,955 yards and 39 touchdowns - all of which are career-highs - while also rushing for 852 yards and four touchdowns. As for Cunningham, he has spent the entire season on Baltimore's practice squad.

The second game of day two of Wild Card Weekend will feature Alexander's Packers square off in Philadelphia vs. Becton's Eagles on Sunday, January 12 at 4:30 p.m. EST on FOX. In a loaded NFC North, Green Bay finished third in the division, but still went 11-6 for the NFC's seventh and final seed. As for Philly, they bounced back from a 2-2 start to go 14-3 and win the NFC East, earning the No. 2 seed in the process.

Alexander was off to a good start to his 2024 season, logging 16 tackles, two interceptions plus a pick-six, seven pass breakups and a fumble recovery. However, he suffered a torn PCL in his right knee seven games into the season. After attempts to try and play again, he had surgery ahead of the Packers' regular season finale, and is not expected to return to the playoffs.

After spending the first four years of his professional career in New York with the Jets, Becton signed with the Eagles this past offseason, and has had a resurgence in his new home. With the exception of week eight at the Bengals, Becton has started every game at right guard for Philadelphia.

Wrapping the second day of playoff action will be Diaby's third-seeded Buccaneers, as they will be hosting the sixth-seeded Washington Commanders on Saturday, January 12 at 8:00 p.m. EST on NBC. Tampa Bay was 4-6 just past the halfway point of the season, but won six of their final seven to go 9-7 and win the NFC South on the final day of the regular season.

A year removed from earning Defensive Rookie of the Year votes, Diaby is having another productive year for Tampa Bay. Starting all 16 games, he has logged 49 tackles (35 solo), nine for loss, 3.5 sacks, 16 QB hits and a forced fumble.

Greenard's Vikings and Atwell's Rams will square off in the final game of Wild Card Weekend, kicking off on Monday, January 13 at 8:00 p.m. EST from Los Angeles. Minnesota narrowely missed out on the NFC North title, but still went 14-3 to earn the No. 5 seed in the conference. Meanwhile, L.A. came out on top in the NFC West with a 10-7 record to earn the fourth seed in the conference.

Greenard, who is in his first season with the Vikings after spending his first four with the Texans, he is also having a career year. In 16 starts, he has compiled 54 tackles (37 solo), 16 for a loss - both of those being career-bests - as well as 11.0 sacks and 20 quarterback hits.

While no longer a regular starter, Atwell still remains a fixture of the Rams' passing attack. In 16 games and four starts, he has hauled in 37 receptions for a career-best 525 yards. He's also rushed twice for seven yards.

As for Bridgewater's Lions, the clinched the top seed in the NFC as well as a first round bye, going 15-2 for the most wins their 94-year history. They'll face the lowest remaining seed in the NFC on either Saturday, January 18 or Sunday, January 19.

Bridgewater came out of retirement and signed with the Lions for their final two games of the regular season as a contingency option at quarterback. However, he has yet to see any in-game action this season for Detroit.

(Photo of Lamar Jackson: Mitch Stringer - Imagn Images)

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