Notable performances from Stanford football alums in week one of the NFL season

Dylan Grausz | Sep 11, 2024

Arizona Cardinals receiver Michael Wilson (14) runs with the ball during training camp at State Farm Stadium on Aug 6, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Week one of the NFL season is officially over as a new year is now in full swing. The first week of the new campaign brought on a lot of excitement, with many of the games coming down to the wire. This year, many former Stanford Cardinal alums have found themselves on 53-man rosters, where their journey of living out the dream of being an NFL player continues. With week one now over and week two nearly here, we take a look back at the most notable performances from the Cardinal greats currently in the pros.

Michael Wilson - Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson (14) daps up Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) at training camp on Aug. 2, 2024 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

In his second year in the league, Wilson is now one of Arizona’s starting receivers where despite only catching one pass for five yards, the one pass he caught was a touchdown, helping the Cardinals stay in it until the very end against the Buffalo Bills despite losing 34-28. With a tough test against the Rams at home next week, the Cardinals passing game will most likely be very busy against a good Los Angeles defense.

Elijah Higgins - Arizona Cardinals

Jan 7, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Elijah Higgins (84) catches a pass in the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Kyler Murray is surrounded by a plethora of young weapons this season, with the second year tight end Elijah Higgins expected to take on a much bigger role in the Cardinals’ offense this year. In the loss to the Bills, Higgins caught two passes for 12 yards, averaging six yards per catch. Despite a small sample size, Higgins showed a lot of promise and could see himself getting even more targets as the season goes on.

Drew Dalman - Atlanta Falcons

Jun 3, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Drew Dalman (67) shown on the field during Falcons OTA at the Falcons Training facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

In what was Kirk Cousins’ first game as the starting quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, Dalman served as the starting center where out of the two times that Cousins got sacked, Dalman gave up one as the Falcons fell 18-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. A big piece to the offensive line, Dalman will lead the unit in keeping Cousins protected.

Casey Toohill - Buffalo Bills

In Buffalo’s 34-28 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Toohill played sparingly, but made two tackles while lined up as defensive end. While listed as the third left defensive end on the depth chart behind Greg Rousseau and Dawuane Smoot, Smoot currently being out with an injury has opened up some more rotational minutes for Toohill in the interim, which he will look to take advantage of.

Trenton Irwin - Cincinnati Bengals

In a 16-10 loss to the New England Patriots, Irwin caught one pass for six yards on two targets. Usually a return specialist as well, Irwin did not get the opportunity to return any punts or kicks in the game this week. 

Dalton Schultz - Houston Texans

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (86) pushes off of Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II (23) as he runs with the ball Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Signing a three-year extension with the Texans this past offseason, Houston cemented Schultz’s status as the team’s starting tight end and as another weapon for Stroud where in week one, he caught all three of his targets for 16 yards. He also provided added blocking help for the Texans offensive line.

Justin Reid - Kansas City Chiefs

Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) warms up against the Chicago Bears prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Reid was injured for part of training camp, but he was fully back and healthy for week one, putting together a dominant defensive performance in the Chiefs’ 27-20 win. In the game, Reid finished second on the team in tackles with nine while leading the way with the most solo tackles, picking up eight. A key part of the defense, expect to see Reid be an impact player week after week.

Joshua Karty - Los Angeles Rams

Aug 17, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams place kicker Joshua Karty (16) attempts a field goal against Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Savion Jackson (54) in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Going through multiple kickers last year, the Rams selected Karty in the sixth round of this year’s draft hoping that he would bring consistency to the position for the Rams. And in week one, Karty instilled even more confidence that he was the right choice to win the starting job out of camp, as he made all of his kick attempts, converting his first-ever NFL field goal from 41-yards out before making his second field goal of 26-yards. He also made both of his PAT attempts on the night. Karty was as consistent as they come for Stanford during his college days and if he can keep that up in the pros, then he will have a long career in the NFL.

Colby Parkinson - Los Angeles Rams

Jul 29, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson (86) participates in drills during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Parkinson’s first game as the starting tight end for the Rams was a solid one as the fifth year pro caught four passes on five targets for 47 yards, while also showing his strong blocking skills, helping running back Kyren Williams have a solid day. 

Jake Bailey - Miami Dolphins

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins place kicker Jason Sanders (7) celebrates with punter Jake Bailey (16) and offensive tackle Kendall Lamm (70) during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

In the 20-17 win over the Jaguars, the Miami Dolphins had a strong day on offense, but Bailey still saw some action, punting the ball four times for 198 yards and three punts that were pinned inside the 20. Averaging 49.5 yards per punt, Bailey’s longest punt of the day was 57 yards.

Harrison Phillips - Minnesota Vikings

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (97) celebrates a defense stop during the second half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Named a captain for the Vikings this season, Phillips has evolved into a crucial player on the Vikings’ defensive line, developing the reputation as being a dominant run stopper. But in week one, Phillips also showed that is very good at getting to the quarterback, tallying a sack in the Vikings 28-6 victory over the New York Giants. In addition to his sack, he also had five total tackles, one solo tackle, a tackle for loss, a QB hit and a pass defended.

Austin Hooper - New England Patriots

Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (81) warms up before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Hooper wasted no time in asserting his presence in New England, catching two passes for 31 yards on four targets, leading the team in receiving yards for the game with his longest catch being 16 yards. While listed as the No. 2 tight end behind Hunter Henry, the Patriots run a lot of two tight end sets, making Hooper a very valuable piece to that offense as well.

Paulson Adebo - New Orleans Saints

Dec 31, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo (29) intercepted the ball for the 2-point conversion over against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Saints defense showed up big time against the Carolina Panthers, holding them to only 10 points en route to the 47-10 victory, with Adebo playing a big part where as a cornerback, he finished the day second on the team in tackles, making five total tackles (four solo) with a pass defended as well. Coming off of a career year last year, Adebo will continue to be a big part of the team this season.

Bobby Okereke - New York Giants

Jul 25, 2024; East Rutherford, NY, USA; New York Giants inside linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) gives an interview after training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Despite losing 28-6, Okereke continued to be the key cog at linebacker that he always is, making three tackles (two solo) while also recovering a fumble. It may be a rebuilding year for the Giants, but Okereke will look to keep being the star that he is.

Solomon Thomas - New York Jets

In the Jets 32-19 loss to the 49ers on Monday Night Football, Thomas made four tackles (three solo) while being a rotational piece on the defensive line. A good run stopper, Thomas provides solid depth to the interior line and with Aaron Rodgers healthy again, will look to help lead the Jets to the playoffs.

Thomas Booker IV - Philadelphia Eagles

As a rotational defensive tackle, Booker made one tackle in the Eagles 34-29 win over the Green Bay Packers in Sao Paulo. Now in his third season in the NFL, Booker is using this year to finally cement himself as a key piece to Philly’s defense.

Curtis Robinson - San Francisco 49ers

With McCaffrey out, Robinson was left as the only former Cardinal on the 49ers who played this week, and despite seeing limited action on defense, he still made one solo tackle. He was also a starter on special teams.

Zach Ertz - Washington Commanders

Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Over the last couple of seasons, Ertz has dealt with injury issues, eventually leading to the Arizona Cardinals releasing him in November of last year which caused him to join the Detroit Lions practice squad. But not only is Ertz back on an active roster, he is once again a starter, being named Washington’s starting tight end to open up the year, bringing an established veteran to help the new-look Commanders. In week one, Ertz caught three out of his four targets for 28 yards. Providing another weapon for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to throw to, Ertz’s value this season could end up being underestimated.