Sean Clifford Among Penn State Football Players Released on NFL Cutdown Day

The Green Bay Packers released the former Penn State quarterback after one season.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Sean Clifford throws during a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Green Bay Packers released quarterback Sean Clifford on Tuesday, as teams across the NFL made their final roster cuts to complete their 53-man rosters before the 2024 season. Clifford was among several former Penn State football players impacted on NFL cutdown day, though many will find places on practice squads.

Among the former Nittany Lions released Tuesday: veteran receiver Allen Robinson by the New York Giants, long-time safety Adrian Amos by the Jacksonville Jaguars, receiver KJ Hamler by the Buffalo Bills and cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields by the Washington Redskins.

Clifford's release added another link to the chain between two former Penn State quarterbacks. In 2021, Will Levis transferred from Penn State to Kentucky, where he became a two-year starter and second-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2023. Levis then supplanted Malik Willis, the Titans' third-round draft pick in 2022, and became the team's starter last season.

Tennessee recently traded Willis to Green Bay, where he likely will be the backup to Jordan Love. That meant change for Clifford, who played in two games for the Packers last season. Clifford was philosophical about the move in a social-media post.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts” - Winston Churchill

— Sean Clifford (@seancliff14) August 27, 2024

Other Penn State football players impacted on NFL roster cuts day:

The New York Giants released receiver Allen Robinson, who is entering his 11th NFL season. The Giants had signed Robinson in May after he played last season with the Los Angeles Rams. Robinson began his career with the Jaguars in 2014.

The Washington Commanders released three former Nittany Lions: quarterback Trace McSorley, cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields and receiver Mitchell Tinsley. McSorley, who signed with the Commanders during training camp, could return to the practice squad soon, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport. Washington drafted Castro-Fields in 2022; he played eight games for the Commanders last season. The Commanders had listed Castro-Fields as a second-team cornerback on their latest depth chart. Tinsley played in two games as a rookie last year but did not record a catch.

The #Commanders are releasing QB Trace McSorley, though he could be back soon given his performance in the preseason.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2024

Injuries have impacted receiver KJ Hamler's career. The Bills waived the fourth-year receiver after signing him to a reserves/ futures contract in January. Hamler, who began his career in Denver, spent last season on the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad. Hamler has dealt with multiple injuries in his career, including a torn ACL and hamstring issues. He also was diagnosed with pericarditis in 2023. In addition, the Bills released former Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy and receiver Justin Shorter, who finished his college career at Florida. The Bills drafted Hardy in the sixth round this year and Shorter in the fifth round of 2023.

The Jaguars released two former Penn State defensive backs: safety Adrian Amos and cornerback Amani Oruwariye. Amos, a nine-year NFL veteran, began his career with the Chicago Bears. Amos also played for Green Bay, the New York Jets and Houston. Jacksonville had signed Amos in early August. Oruwariye spent his first four seasons with Detroit, where he made a team-high six interceptions in 2021. Oruwariye had signed with Jacksonville's practice squad last year.

The Philadelphia Eagles waived former Penn State defensive tackle PJ Mustipher and linebacker Brandon Smith. Mustipher signed with the Eagles in May after playing four games as a rookie last season with the New Orleans Saints. Smith played in 12 games with Carolina as a rookie in 2022 and one with Philadelphia last year.

In addition to Clifford, Green Bay also released rookie cornerback Kalen King, whom it drafted in the seventh round. King in April discussed how his draft experience had motivated him.

The Arizona Cardinals waived receiver Dan Chisena, whom they signed to a future contract in February. Chisena has been in the league since 2020, playing for Minnesota, Arizona and Baltimore.

The Kansas City Chiefs waived rookie linebacker Curtis Jacobs, whom they signed as a free agent in April.

The Tennessee Titans released rookie safety Keaton Ellis, whom they signed as an undrafted free agent. Ellis was a Penn State captain last season and started 20 games for the Nittany Lions in his career.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.