Auburn Professional Athletes

Auburn in Paris: A Historic Stage, a Tough Result

The NFL made history on October 26, playing its first-ever regular-season game on French soil — and three Auburn alumni were on the field for it. Daniel Carlson, Jeremiah Wright, and Colby Wooden all suited up for the New Orleans Saints in a 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris, giving the Auburn faithful a Tigers-shaped storyline inside one of the league's landmark moments.

It wasn't the result anyone on the Saints' side of the ledger wanted. New Orleans managed just 10 points against a stout Pittsburgh defense, and the offense struggled to generate consistent production. For Carlson in particular, the week carried unusual emotional weight: the Saints kicker was days away from welcoming his fourth child when the team flew overseas for the game. He made the trip anyway, but according to Sports Illustrated's breakdown of the loss, Carlson's performance on the day was one of the "bad" entries in a game the Saints couldn't afford to lose. Wright, an offensive guard, was part of a Saints line that failed to generate any meaningful push in the run game — another sore spot in SI's postgame assessment. Wooden, a defensive tackle, was on the field but couldn't help New Orleans' defense generate enough stops to keep the game within reach.

On the other side of the ball, fellow Auburn alum Jamel Dean — a cornerback for the Steelers — was part of the Pittsburgh defense that held the Saints to a single-digit point total well into the fourth quarter, contributing to one of the more notable inter-Auburn matchups of the season.

Elsewhere Around the League

The Paris game dominated the Auburn alumni news cycle this week, but a few Tigers were making noise stateside.

In Seattle, linebacker Derick Hall recorded a sack in the Seahawks' dominant 20-3 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday — a result that turned heads league-wide. Hall's pressure on the quarterback was a bright spot in a Seattle defensive performance that completely neutralized the Chiefs' offense.

In Detroit, cornerback Roger McCreary remained in a contested starting role with the Lions. Detroit beat Green Bay 20-17 in Week 7, but head coach Dan Campbell has been forthcoming about the unsettled nature of the secondary — McCreary was part of the team's deepest CB rotation of the season, rotating with Rock Ya-Sin and Ennis Rakestraw. McCreary also appeared on the injury report Friday, adding some uncertainty to his status going forward.

In Philadelphia, running back Tank Bigsby missed the Eagles' 38-21 Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Bigsby was among several offensive contributors sidelined for Philly, a group whose collective absence was felt sharply in what Heavy Sports called a game that proved the Eagles missed their key additions.

The Saints' Paris appearance is already the defining chapter of Auburn's NFL week — a historic backdrop, three Tigers on the field, and a result that stings. Carlson, Wright, and Wooden will look to regroup when New Orleans returns stateside, with the Saints' playoff positioning still very much in play.

Auburn's fingerprints were all over the NFL in Week 6, with Tigers alumni making plays, generating headlines, and stirring debate from Pittsburgh to New Orleans to Carolina.

Dean Delivers in Pittsburgh

Cornerback Jamel Dean notched an interception for the Steelers in Pittsburgh's 26-19 win over the Buccaneers — and it was consequential enough to put head coach Mike McCarthy's late-game play-calling under a microscope. McCarthy publicly defended his decisions after the turnover, underscoring just how pivotal the takeaway was in the game's outcome. PFF's post-game grades offered an encouraging takeaway of their own: if Dean can stay healthy, he could be a rare veteran acquisition that actually works out for Pittsburgh's beleaguered secondary. For a Steelers cornerback room that has needed answers all season, Dean's Week 6 performance was a promising data point.

Emerson Emerges as a Saints Hero

Across the league, the New Orleans Saints knocked off the New York Giants 34-27, and Martin Emerson Jr. was one of three players singled out as standout performers in the win. Sports Illustrated's post-game stock report highlighted Emerson alongside Isaiah Stalbird and fellow Auburn alum Jeremiah Wright — the Saints' guard who also earned recognition for his performance in the trenches. Head coach Kellen Moore, speaking from Paris ahead of the Saints' international matchup, specifically mentioned Wright as a player who stood out in the victory. With two Tigers contributing meaningfully to the same win, New Orleans is quietly becoming an Auburn enclave.

Carlton Davis III's Injury Clouds New England's Secondary

In New England, Carlton Davis III's week became a saga. The $189 million cornerback — part of what was supposed to be a formidable Patriots secondary — was ruled out for Thursday night's game against the Chicago Bears due to a neck injury, even after returning to practice earlier in the week. Encouraging updates surfaced Tuesday, but they weren't enough to get Davis cleared in time, leaving Christian Gonzalez to anchor the secondary against Caleb Williams alone. Davis's absence is more than a box score footnote — it represents a significant setback for a Patriots defense banking on its expensive cornerback tandem to compete.

Derrick Brown Goes to Bat for Bryce Young

Down in Charlotte, Derrick Brown isn't just anchoring Carolina's defensive line — he's moonlighting as Bryce Young's most vocal advocate. The Panthers' defensive tackle told Sports Illustrated he would vote for Young for MVP if he could, making a public case for his quarterback's turnaround season. It's the kind of unsolicited endorsement that speaks to locker room culture, and it puts Young's resurgence in sharper relief. Brown has been a cornerstone of the Panthers' rebuild; his willingness to beat the drum for Young suggests something real is building in Carolina.

Around the War Eagle Nation

Elsewhere, Darius Slayton's brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts came to an unceremonious end — he was released October 16 without appearing in a single game, and free agent proposals have already begun circulating linking him to AFC rivals. Tank Bigsby remains on injured reserve with the Eagles as Philadelphia continues to navigate a battered backfield. And in Seattle, Nehemiah Pritchett appears set for a larger role after the Seahawks waived Trevon Diggs, clearing the path for the Auburn cornerback to claim snaps in the secondary.

It was a week that showcased the breadth of Auburn's NFL footprint — from game-changing plays to injury intrigue to MVP lobbying. War Eagle, indeed.

Four Auburn alumni made headlines across the NFL this week — through roster moves, injury reports, and one defensive play that actually stood out on the field.

Jarquez Hunter Lands in New Orleans

The Saints added another Tiger to their depth chart, signing running back Jarquez Hunter to the practice squad on Wednesday. The second-year back out of Auburn has now cycled through three organizations in two seasons — originally drafted by the Rams, most recently cut by the Dolphins — but the Saints saw enough to bring him aboard. Hunter joins a New Orleans backfield that also features fellow Auburn alum Daniel Carlson at kicker, though Carlson's own roster security is under scrutiny after a stretch of missed kicks that has revived internal debate about the team's decision to cut Charlie Smyth in the preseason.

Braden Smith Returns, Creates a Dilemma in Houston

The week's most consequential Auburn roster development came in Houston, where the Texans activated offensive tackle Braden Smith from injured reserve. Smith's return is unambiguously good news for the offense — but it immediately created a lineup puzzle for Houston's coaching staff, who now have to sort out their starting five along the O-line. It's a high-quality problem to have, and it signals that Smith is healthy enough to push for meaningful snaps down the stretch.

Carlton Davis III Ruled Out in New England

Not all the news was positive. Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis III was officially ruled out for New England's Week 6 matchup against the Jets, adding to what has been a mounting injury situation for the Auburn CB. The Patriots, who were already managing a thin secondary, received the ruling as part of Friday's official injury report — compounding an already difficult stretch for Davis and a defense that needed him available.

Pritchett Makes a Play for Seattle

On the field, Nehemiah Pritchett delivered Auburn's most tangible highlight of the week. The Seahawks cornerback recorded an interception in Seattle's Week 6 loss to the 49ers (29-32), giving the program something to point to even in defeat. Pritchett also appeared in Seattle's Thursday night loss to the Broncos (14-17), getting meaningful snaps in back-to-back weeks.

Around the Roster

Darius Slayton's brief, forgettable stint in Indianapolis came to an end this week when the Colts released the Auburn wideout — remarkable for the fact that he never played a single game for the franchise after signing. Meanwhile, Tank Bigsby remained sidelined for the Eagles, who are dealing with a serious running back injury situation with Saquon Barkley also out. Jamel Dean showed up on the Steelers' injury report as limited in practice, and Derrick Brown's Panthers dealt with the ripple effects of Jalen Hurts' blood clot news ahead of their Week 6 matchup with Philadelphia.

Eagles' Auburn Backfield Connection Takes a Hit

Philadelphia's running back room has been gutted by injury, and Auburn alumni are at the center of the chaos.

Tank Bigsby, the Eagles' primary backup behind Saquon Barkley, underwent core muscle surgery following Philadelphia's Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and was subsequently placed on injured reserve — a move that guarantees he'll miss at least four games and puts his entire season in serious jeopardy. Bigsby had shown flashes before going down, rushing for 55 yards in what turned out to be his final appearance of the year. The Eagles entered that Rams game already shorthanded, and the backfield situation only worsened when Barkley also exited with a hamstring injury that has him listed week-to-week.

With both Barkley and Bigsby sidelined heading into Week 5, the Eagles signed a veteran running back off the street and turned to Will Shipley to carry the load.

Shipley Gets His Moment

Will Shipley — the former Clemson Tiger-turned-Eagle who has spent most of his NFL career as a third-stringer — is expected to make just his second career start when Philadelphia travels to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. Shipley addressed the opportunity head-on, publicly sharing his mindset ahead of the start and projecting confidence. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni also offered a public vote of confidence in the backfield depth, signaling the team isn't panicking despite the significant injury toll.

Shipley's first career start came during his rookie season in 2024. This one carries considerably higher stakes, with Philadelphia trying to stay afloat in a brutal NFC East race while missing multiple key contributors across the roster.

Elsewhere in the Auburn NFL Family

The injury bug wasn't limited to Philadelphia's backfield among Tigers alums this week.

Carlton Davis III, the Patriots' starting cornerback, was ruled out for Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders after missing practice time throughout the week. Davis was one of six Patriots ruled out for the game, leaving New England's secondary in a precarious spot.

In Pittsburgh, Jamel Dean — the Steelers' cornerback who did not practice Wednesday — was ruled out for the Week 5 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, adding another Auburn name to a lengthy NFL injury ledger this week.

Over in Indianapolis, Darius Slayton's short stint with the Colts got off to a rocky start. After spending his first two weeks simply learning the offense, Slayton picked up an injury in the lead-up to Week 5 in Pittsburgh and was listed as questionable before ultimately being ruled out, dealing another blow to an already-thin Colts receiver room.

The broader Auburn alumni footprint in the NFL remains wide — with Tigers scattered across rosters from Seattle to New Orleans — but this week belonged to the backfield drama unfolding in Philadelphia, where two Auburn products find themselves on opposite ends of the same injury crisis.