Arkansas Professional Athletes

The Jackson Problem

Landon Jackson is becoming a headache for the Bills. The Arkansas alum and Buffalo edge rusher is facing his second NFL disciplinary action of the 2026 season — and the regular season is barely three weeks old. The specifics of the latest punishment weren't disclosed in detail, but the pattern is hard to ignore: two disciplinary incidents in a matter of weeks raises legitimate questions about Jackson's long-term standing in a Bills organization that doesn't have much patience for roster distractions. For a player still working to establish himself as a reliable pass-rusher at the NFL level, the off-field noise is the last thing he needs.

Around the League

While Jackson's situation dominates the Arkansas storyline this week, several Razorbacks had notable moments elsewhere.

Hunter Henry remains one of the more dependable tight ends in New England. The veteran Arkansas product caught 3 passes for 40 yards as the Patriots handled the Steelers 20–3 in Week 2 — a quiet but efficient performance that underscores why New England has kept him in the fold. At this stage of his career, Henry isn't going to wow anyone with highlight-reel plays, but he continues to be exactly what a team needs from the position.

Treylon Burks suited up for Washington in a tough Week 2 loss to Dallas, 37–20. The Commanders wide receiver was active after some uncertainty heading into the game, though the box score didn't reflect a standout outing in a game Washington never really controlled.

Brandon Allen is hovering around relevance in New York in the most Brandon Allen way possible. With starter Jaxson Dart's injury proving worse than expected and Jameis Winston stepping into the starting role, the Giants are reportedly weighing a reunion with Allen as their third quarterback. It's a depth role, but for a journeyman backup, staying on an NFL roster is the job.

Jake Bates, meanwhile, is getting some fantasy football buzz — the Lions kicker leaped into the top five of Week 3 kicker rankings heading into Detroit's home game against the Jets. Not exactly the Arkansas alum making noise for on-field heroics, but in a kicker-scarce fantasy landscape, it counts.

Isaac TeSlaa continues to work his way into the Lions' offensive plans. The Arkansas wideout has seen limited targets early in the season, but Detroit's wide receivers coach indicated that usage will expand as TeSlaa gets more comfortable in the system. The Lions' drafting of TeSlaa has raised eyebrows, and the pressure is on the young receiver to justify the selection.

Taylen Green in Cleveland is facing a murky outlook. The Browns rookie quarterback drew a "surprising take" on his future heading into Week 2, with speculation swirling about how the organization views his trajectory. Green is in a difficult situation on a Browns team with no obvious path to snaps.

The week's throughline for Arkansas alumni is variance — some veterans delivering quietly, some youngsters still finding their footing, and one defender in Buffalo making the wrong kind of news for the second time this season.

Cam Little Is Playing a Different Game

No kicker in NFL history has done what the former Razorback has done — twice. Jacksonville's Cam Little owns the two longest field goals ever made in the NFL, and entering Week 2 with the Jaguars traveling to Denver, he may be about to break his own record again.

Little's 68-yard make in Las Vegas stands as the single longest field goal in league history — a number that already seemed fictional. But Denver's altitude has long been a kicker's best friend, and the combination of thin air and Little's cannon leg has observers genuinely wondering whether a new record is possible on Sunday. For context, Little also hit a longer field goal in the preseason, meaning the ceiling on what he's capable of may not yet have a floor.

For Arkansas fans, this isn't just a feel-good stat. Little has quietly become one of the most consequential specialists in the modern NFL, redefining what's considered "in range" on any given Sunday.

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Burks Gets His Chance in Washington

Treylon Burks had an inauspicious start to life with the Commanders — he was among the inactives for Washington's Week 1 matchup against the Eagles. But roster math can move fast in the NFL, and it moved in Burks' favor quickly.

With tight end Chig Okonkwo ruled out for Week 2 against the Cowboys, Washington's game-day personnel equation shifted, and Burks is now poised for a meaningful role. After being a healthy scratch just seven days earlier, the former first-round pick out of Fayetteville could see real snaps and real targets in a prime-time-adjacent matchup against Dallas.

The opportunity is real. Whether Burks can seize it is the question that has followed him since his Tennessee days and into a professional career still searching for traction.

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Around the League

The Razorback presence extends well beyond Little and Burks. In Detroit, wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa had a tough Week 1 against New Orleans — earning one of the Lions' lowest PFF grades in the game — but head coach Dan Campbell publicly reaffirmed his commitment to getting TeSlaa and Jameson Williams more production. TeSlaa bounced back with two catches for 26 yards in the Lions' Thursday night loss to Buffalo, a modest but meaningful step.

In Las Vegas, running back Mike Washington Jr. turned heads in Week 1, rushing for 41 yards in the Raiders' 27-13 win over Miami. Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko sent a strong public message about Washington's role alongside Ashton Jeanty — suggesting the former Hog could carve out a legitimate backfield niche in Vegas.

Over in San Francisco, linebacker Dre Greenlaw is making the most of his $7.5 million reunion with the 49ers. After missing all of last season with Denver, Greenlaw played in San Francisco's Week 1 win over the Rams and drew glowing reviews from both Nick Bosa — who called him his favorite teammate ever — and linebacker Fred Warner, who noted their chemistry picked up right where it left off.

In Los Angeles, safety Kam Curl was limited in the Rams' first Week 2 injury report, worth monitoring as the week progresses.

Arkansas's NFL footprint remains broad, but this week, the spotlight belongs to a kicker who may be about to make history for the third time.

Arkansas Alumni NFL Roundup | Week of Sept. 6–12, 2026

The Razorbacks had a week of sharp contrasts in the NFL — one former Arkansas linebacker cementing his comeback in front of a global audience, another officially closing the book on a promising career derailed by injury.

Greenlaw's Return Pays Off in Sydney

Dre Greenlaw was one of the loudest stories coming out of the NFL's opening weekend in Australia, and not just for his play. The 49ers linebacker — who missed virtually all of last season recovering from a torn Achilles — delivered both on the field and in the postgame press room during San Francisco's commanding 27–7 demolition of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1.

Greenlaw and longtime partner Fred Warner were singled out after the game, with the linebacker duo credited for giving the Rams' offense zero room to breathe. Warner posted 11 tackles and a forced fumble, and the pair drew strong praise from inside the organization following the victory. Greenlaw also made headlines for a characteristically candid sideline moment — a riff on Antarctica that went mildly viral and served as a reminder that his personality is as intact as his game.

The reunion of Warner and Greenlaw had been flagged all preseason as a critical piece of San Francisco's defensive identity. Week 1 was an early, emphatic validation of that bet — and a good sign for Razorback fans who watched Greenlaw's road back from one of the most dramatic injuries of the 2024 season.

Kam Curl, another Arkansas alum, lined up on the opposite sideline as a Ram but found himself on the losing end of that 27–7 final.

Sanders' Time in Denver Is Over

The other defining Arkansas story of the week came Tuesday, when the Denver Broncos officially released Drew Sanders from injured reserve, ending what had become a frustrating tenure for the former third-round pick. Per Sports Illustrated, the move carries negligible impact on Denver's defense — a quiet, deflating verdict on a career that never gained traction after Sanders was repeatedly slowed by injuries.

Sanders was a high-upside prospect out of Fayetteville, but he never managed to stay healthy long enough to stick. The Broncos have moved on, and Sanders now enters the market as a free agent without a landing spot.

Henry Battles Through a Quiet Night in New England

Hunter Henry's Week 1 looked rough on paper — three catches for 26 yards in a 10–13 Patriots loss to the Seahawks — but the story was more complicated than the box score. Henry was flagged as an injury concern during the second half, raising questions about his status as the game wore on. He did return, but the performance was limited, and New England's offense never found its footing.

For a Patriots team still searching for an identity, Henry remains one of their most dependable pass-catchers. Week 1 was one to forget, but the injury situation bears watching heading into Week 2.

Others Around the League

Treylon Burks is in Washington fighting off competition for the Commanders' WR3 role, with Antonio Williams pushing him for snaps behind Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. The depth chart lists Burks ahead, but the margin is reportedly slim.

Doneiko Slaughter earned a Steelers active roster elevation this week with Joey Porter Jr.'s availability uncertain heading into Pittsburgh's Week 1 matchup against the Falcons — a small but notable moment for the former Razorback defensive back.

The NFL's 53-man roster deadline delivered a rough weekend for Arkansas alumni, with three Razorbacks losing their roster spots in the same deadline wave — a cluster of cuts that underscores how thin the margin is between an NFL career and a phone that stops ringing.

Drew Sanders, Brandon Allen, Eric Gregory all out

The most significant move involved Drew Sanders, the former Arkansas linebacker who had been with the Denver Broncos. The team waived/injured Sanders, per 9News' Mike Klis — a designation that typically signals a player suffered an injury during the preseason and will be placed on injured reserve rather than outright released. Still, the move ends his shot at making Denver's active 53 for now.

In New York, the Giants released quarterback Brandon Allen, per NFL Media's Mike Garafolo. Allen, a Fayetteville product who spent years bouncing between rosters and practice squads, had been competing for a backup role behind the Giants' starter. With the roster deadline forcing hard decisions at every position, New York chose to move on. Notably, the Giants also cut QB Jake Haener in the same sweep, meaning the team shed multiple signal-callers simultaneously.

Up in New England, the Patriots waived defensive tackle Eric Gregory ahead of the 6 p.m. ET Sunday deadline. Gregory was among several players let go as the roster was trimmed to the league-mandated limit.

Three Razorbacks, three cuts — in a single 24-hour stretch.

Hunter Henry keeps his captain's armband in Foxborough

Not every Arkansas alum in New England had a rough week. Tight end Hunter Henry was named a team captain for the 2026 Patriots season — one of six players selected, alongside quarterback Drake Maye, safety Kevin Byard III, cornerback Marcus Jones, linebacker Robert Spillane, and offensive tackle Morgan Moses. Henry's selection is a testament to his standing in the locker room, even as New England navigates a youth-driven rebuild around Maye.

Deatrich Wise Jr. lands on PUP in Washington

In Washington, Razorback defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. was placed on the physically unable to perform list by the Commanders. The move sidelines him at least through the early weeks of the regular season. Washington did designate two other players to return off injured reserve in the same transaction window, but Wise's timeline remains uncertain for now.

The bigger picture

For Arkansas fans tracking the NFL diaspora out of Fayetteville, this week was a tale of two realities. The Razorbacks still have a substantial footprint across the league — from Frank Ragnow anchoring the Lions' offensive line to Kamren Curl patrolling the Rams' secondary to Dre Greenlaw in San Francisco — but the roster-deadline period is always a volatile one, and this cycle hit the Hogs' alumni harder than most.

Sanders' waived/injured designation leaves open the possibility of a return later in the season. Allen and Gregory will hit the open market and could resurface on practice squads around the league. In the NFL, nothing is ever truly final — just temporary.