Arkansas Professional Athletes

Arkansas alumni had a busy week across the NFL, with a contract secured, a veteran embracing a tough-love coaching philosophy, and a preseason kicking record still standing — barely.

Froholdt Locked In at Center for Arizona

The Cardinals made it official: Hjalte Froholdt is staying in Arizona. The former Razorback center agreed to a two-year contract extension, cementing his role as a key piece of Arizona's offensive line. Froholdt has earned a reputation for elite consistency at the position — a quality the Cardinals clearly valued enough to prioritize before the regular season opens. The deal keeps one of Arkansas's most durable NFL alumni planted firmly in a starting role heading into 2026.

Hunter Henry Buys Into Vrabel's Bluntness

In New England, tight end Hunter Henry isn't sweating the fact that head coach Mike Vrabel has been publicly critical of the Patriots' roster depth. Where some veterans might bristle at a new coach's candid assessments, Henry is taking the opposite approach. "If anything, it should motivate you, man, to kind of raise your level," Henry said, per Boston.com. The eight-year veteran has seen enough NFL regimes to know that a demanding coach and a thin depth chart can actually create opportunity. Henry appears to be leaning into the challenge rather than away from it — a posture that fits a tight end who has quietly been one of the more productive players at his position throughout his career.

Cam Little's Record Survives a Scare

The NFL preseason's most obscure-but-real record belongs to a Razorback, and it almost didn't survive the week. Jaguars kicker Cam Little — a former Arkansas standout — holds the NFL preseason field goal distance record after drilling a 70-yarder last season. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker came within a yard of tying it this week, connecting on a 69-yard attempt that drew national attention. Close, but not enough. Little's mark stands. It's a footnote-sized story, but the kind that Arkansas fans can genuinely claim bragging rights over — at least until someone actually knocks it off.

Around the League

Elsewhere in the Razorback diaspora, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw continues to be pegged as one of the more underrated players on the roster as the 49ers navigate an unusual offseason heading into 2026. Greenlaw's name surfaced in a roundup of hidden-gem contributors on a squad still sorting through significant roster turnover — a quiet endorsement for a player who has delivered in big moments before.

Arkansas's NFL footprint remains substantial, with more than 40 alumni active across the league. The headliners this week made a convincing case that Fayetteville's pipeline to the pros is as productive as ever.

For Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry, the future is Patriot — at least through 2028.

New England signed the veteran TE to a two-year, $16 million extension on August 10, a deal that can escalate to $20 million in total value and includes $14.5 million in guaranteed money. The agreement, first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, keeps one of the franchise's most reliable veterans in place as the team continues to build around young quarterback Drake Maye.

Henry has spent five seasons in New England since arriving as a free agent in 2021, establishing himself as one of the more consistent tight ends in the AFC East. He also serves as a team captain — a detail that underscores exactly what the Patriots are paying for beyond the stat sheet. For a rebuild still finding its footing, locking up a veteran locker-room anchor alongside a developing starter at QB is a calculated move as much as a football one.

The extension draws significant attention to what it signals for the Henry-Maye connection heading into 2026. Henry's route-running dependability and experience as a security blanket make him an ideal complement for a young signal-caller still acclimating to the speed and complexity of the NFL. New England clearly believes that continuity at tight end helps Maye's development more than a youth-driven swap at the position would.

There's also an eye toward Henry's broader career arc. With the deal running through his age-30 season, retirement timelines have entered the conversation in league circles — but the two-year commitment from the organization suggests both sides see meaningful production still ahead.

For Razorbacks fans, Henry remains the headlining NFL ambassador from Fayetteville. Arkansas has no shortage of active NFL alumni — the roster spans franchises from the Patriots to the Lions to the 49ers — but Henry's deal this week is the most prominent contract news out of that group during this stretch. A $16 million extension for a team captain on a high-profile rebuild is the kind of move that keeps a player's alma mater firmly on the NFL map.

The Patriots get continuity. Henry gets security. And Drake Maye gets to keep his most experienced safety valve in the passing game. For a franchise working to claw back relevance, this was a low-drama, high-value decision — exactly the kind Arkansas fans should feel good about watching one of their own help engineer.

Arkansas Alumni NFL Training Camp Report | Aug. 2–8, 2026

Two Razorbacks are turning heads at NFL training camps this week — one making a welcomed return from the sideline, the other staking his claim as a legitimate playmaker heading into the season.

Greenlaw Back on the Field in Santa Clara

Dre Greenlaw's return to 49ers practice this week was one of the more quietly significant developments in the NFC West. The Arkansas product, who has dealt with injury setbacks that have limited his availability, was back on the field Thursday alongside teammates De'Zhaun Stribling and Osa Odighizuwa — a collective boost for a San Francisco defense that has been monitoring its personnel closely in camp.

Greenlaw's presence matters beyond just his on-field production. The 49ers linebacker has emerged as a veteran voice in the locker room, a point underscored when he and Deebo Samuel reached out publicly to offer support to Ricky Pearsall following the receiver's knee injury news. That kind of leadership capital is hard to quantify but impossible to ignore — and it signals that Greenlaw isn't just fighting to get healthy, he's still operating as one of the team's connective threads.

For 49ers fans and Razorback faithful alike, his return to practice is the first signal that he could be on track for a full role when the regular season kicks off.

Burks Generating Real Buzz in Washington

Meanwhile, across the country at Commanders camp, Treylon Burks is making the kind of noise that changes roster conversations. The former first-round pick out of Fayetteville has been a talking point at Dan Quinn's camp in a week where Washington's offensive weapons have drawn considerable attention.

Burks has always carried the tools that made him a lottery ticket — size, yards-after-catch ability, and the kind of contested-catch physicality that Arkansas fans saw up close. What's different now is context: Washington's offensive infrastructure under Quinn has stabilized, and Burks is operating in an environment built to actually utilize his skill set. The Commanders camp buzz around him is the story of a player who may finally be getting out of his own way — and into the right system.

With fellow Razorback Ricky Stromberg snapping the ball at center and De'Jon Harris and Deatrich Wise Jr. also on the Washington roster, there's a quiet Fayetteville pipeline running through the nation's capital right now.

The Bigger Picture

It's been a strong camp window for Razorbacks across the league. Hunter Henry — entering his 11th NFL season in New England — continues to serve as a model of durability at tight end, a reminder of how long Arkansas can produce at the pro level when the fit is right.

But this week belongs to Greenlaw and Burks. One is proving he's back. The other is proving he belongs. Both are worth watching when the pads come on and the real evaluations begin.