NFL playoffs will Feature a Handful of Stanford Legends

The regular season is now over and with the remaining 14 teams shifting gears towards making a run at a championship, we take a look at which former Stanford players will be involved in this year's edition of the NFL playoffs.

Dec 8, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Matthew Wright (49) celebrates with safety Justin Reid (20) after the win over the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The NFL playoffs are here. 272 games were played to determine which 14 teams would get a shot at extending their season and playing for the Lombardi trophy, and now that the field is officially set and the matchups for Wild Card weekend have been revealed, let's take a look at which former Stanford Cardinal stars will be featured in the games.

Saturday will be a big day for the former Cardinal as the first game of the day kicks off with the Houston Texans taking on the Los Angeles Chargers. In this game, former Cardinal quarterback Davis Mills and former tight end Dalton Schultz will suit up for Houston, with Mills serving as the backup to starting quarterback C.J. Stroud and Schultz eager to keep his 53 catch for 532 yard season going in the playoffs. For the Chargers, Simi Fehoko, Tucker Fisk, Foster Sarell and Kendall Williamson are all on the playoff roster.

Dec 15, 2024; Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (86) runs onto the field before the game against the Miami Dolphins at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The night game will see the Pittsburgh Steelers head to Baltimore but the Steelers will play in the game without a key starter, former Cardinal offensive lineman Nate Herbig, who tore his rotator cuff in the preseason and hasn't played since. However, when he is healthy, Herbig has brought a major boost to Pittsburgh's offensive line.

Sunday will be another day full of ex-Stanford standouts chasing the ultimate goal. The morning will start with the Denver Broncos hitting the road to face off against the Buffalo Bills, their first playoff game since the 2015 season.

Former Cardinal defensive end Casey Toohill will suit up against Cameron Fleming. Fleming, who played at Stanford from 2010-2013, is a two-time Super Bowl champion, winning two championships as a member of the Patriots. Buffalo and Denver will kickoff at 10 a.m. (PT).

The afternoon will see Tanner McKee and Thomas Booker's Philadelphia Eagles host the Green Bay Packers in what may be a very frigid ball game. The Eagles, who are coming off of a dominant week 18 win with McKee under center, are looking to return to the Super Bowl two years after making the big game and losing to the Chiefs and with their starters rested, they should go into the game at full strength.

Dec 29, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) reacts after catching the game-winning touchdown pass against the Atlanta Falcons in overtime at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The night cap will see the Washington Commanders head to Central Florida to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Zach Ertz's leadership will be leaned on heavily to help them advance.

A Super Bowl champion with the Eagles, Ertz has been a crucial piece in the resurgence of the Commanders, helping the team make the playoffs for the first time since 2020 as well as helping Jayden Daniels develop and put together one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback in recent history.

Brycen Tremayne, a wide receiver at Stanford from 2018-2022, is also on Washington's roster for the game. Kickoff for the Commanders game will be at 5 p.m (PT).

Nov 11, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams place kicker Joshua Karty (16) kicks a 53-yard field goal against the Miami Dolphins in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For the final time this season, there will be a Monday night game which will see the 14-win Minnesota Vikings travel to Los Angeles to take on the NFC West champion Rams. For the Rams, Joshua Karty and Colby Parkinson make up the former Cardinal in this one, with Karty's dominant rookie season being a major catalyst for the Rams success.

Finishing the regular season converting on 85% of his field goals and 88% of his extra points, Karty scored 119 points this year which is the most by a Rams rookie in years. Parkinson, who finished with 30 catches for 294 yards and a touchdown, will look to make another big impact.

For Minnesota, Harrison Phillips leads a defensive front that has been exceptional at stopping the run, and will need to be extra good at that against the Rams.

Other Stanford stars in the playoffs include Justin Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs earned a first round bye and are waiting to see who they will play in the Divisional Round at home.