BYU Professional Athletes

Tyler Allgeier didn't just have a good game Sunday. He orchestrated a resurrection.

The BYU product and Arizona Cardinals running back turned a 24-10 fourth-quarter deficit against the Dallas Cowboys into a 33-30 victory — and did it with his legs, his hands, and apparently every ounce of fight in him. Allgeier rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries, then added five receptions for 44 yards and another score out of the backfield. The dual-threat performance earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors — the first of his NFL career.

It's the kind of game that resets a career trajectory. Per Pro Football Talk, the Cardinals were dealing with injury concerns at the running back position heading into the matchup, which thrust Allgeier into a featured role. He didn't just fill in — he took over. Fantasy analysts wasted no time flagging him as a must-add, with Sports Illustrated running multiple pieces in the days following the game pushing managers to target Allgeier ahead of Week 9.

Elsewhere Around the League

Allgeier wasn't the only Cougar making moves this week. In Baltimore, the Ravens signed fellow BYU alum Kedon Slovis to their active roster after injuries to both Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley left the team scrambling at quarterback ahead of a Week 9 matchup with the Jaguars. CBS Sports reported Slovis emerged as a potential starter for the game — a remarkable turn of fortune for the former Cougar signal-caller.

In Kansas City, Kingsley Suamataia remained at the center of an organizational mystery. The Chiefs left guard was benched for the second time in four games, and head coach Andy Reid offered nothing in the way of explanation. Sports Illustrated reported Reid stayed silent on the reasons behind the decision, while Heavy Sports floated the possibility of a trade as the NFL's November 10 deadline approached. Whatever the underlying issue, the situation appears unresolved and worth monitoring.

On the roster transaction wire, Carsen Ryan got good news: the Browns signed the tight end to their 53-man roster, per Pro Football Talk. Meanwhile, Blake Freeland got the opposite — the offensive tackle was poached off the Bengals' practice squad by the New York Jets, the team he was originally drafted by. The 6-foot-8 former BYU lineman now rejoins the Jets' offensive line room mid-season.

Brady Christensen took a step toward returning to action as the Panthers designated the offensive tackle for return from injured reserve, per Pro Football Talk, opening a 21-day practice window.

And over in Los Angeles, Puka Nacua continued his strong season for the Rams, hauling in 11 receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown in a 24-9 win over the Chargers — quietly delivering another reliable performance while Allgeier grabbed the week's headlines.

A big week for Cougar Nation. Allgeier's the star, but the depth of BYU talent across NFL rosters was on full display from Baltimore to Los Angeles.

Three BYU alumni made noise across the NFL in Week 7, and each story carries its own weight — from a gutsy performance through injury to a punter earning conference-wide recognition to a veteran pass rusher making a contract case.

Puka Nacua Plays Through Pain — and Delivers

The week started with uncertainty. Puka Nacua exited Rams practice Thursday with a calf injury, putting his status for Sunday's matchup against the Raiders in doubt — a particularly nerve-wracking development for a Los Angeles receiving corps already dealing with Davante Adams on IR. By Sunday, he was active, and he made the most of it.

Nacua hauled in 8 catches for 68 yards and a touchdown as the Rams rolled to a 35-21 win. He also added 10 rushing yards. Postgame, Nacua spoke candidly about gutting through the calf issue — and even revealed what happened when he tried to block Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby, which, by all accounts, did not go as planned. Quarterback Matthew Stafford didn't hold back in his praise, sending what Heavy Sports described as a "clear message" about Nacua's performance. With Los Angeles sitting at 3-4 and little reliable help behind their star receiver, that kind of production — hurt and all — is exactly what the Rams needed.

Ryan Rehkow Takes Home AFC Honors

The Bengals' offensive explosion in the second half in Baltimore last Sunday got the most attention, but Cincinnati's special teams unit quietly had itself a day — led by BYU punter Ryan Rehkow. The NFL recognized it, naming Rehkow the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week following Cincinnati's 35-13 dismantling of the Ravens. It's a meaningful individual honor for a player doing the unglamorous work that can quietly swing field position and games.

Kyle Van Noy Making a Contract Case in Minnesota

When the Vikings signed Kyle Van Noy this offseason, the expectation was that he'd take pressure off Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner — a complementary role for a veteran presence. He's been something more than that. After Minnesota's 16-10 win over the Colts in Week 7, Sports Illustrated argued that rewarding Van Noy with a contract extension should rank among the Vikings' top organizational priorities. The piece noted that Van Noy has "more than exceeded" expectations since arriving in Minnesota — a strong endorsement for a player whose BYU pedigree has always come packaged with high football IQ and consistent production.

Elsewhere Around the League

Fred Warner had a rough week on two fronts. The 49ers fell 29-20 to the Falcons on Oct. 25 — San Francisco's first loss of the season — with Warner calling out the team's turnover issues directly. He also absorbed a $65,673 fine from the NFL for two unnecessary roughness penalties from the previous week's win over the Commanders, with a suspension threat reportedly looming.

Tyler Allgeier carried the ball for 19 yards and added 3 catches for 30 more in Arizona's 16-30 loss to Denver — modest numbers, though his name surfaced in trade chatter as a potential deadline target for the Lions.

Between Nacua's toughness, Rehkow's recognition, and Van Noy's contract-worthy campaign, BYU's NFL footprint in Week 7 was impossible to ignore.

Puka Nacua's Calf Scare Puts Rams on Edge

The Los Angeles Rams can't catch a break — and neither can BYU fans watching Puka Nacua's health updates with growing anxiety.

Nacua exited Thursday's practice with a calf injury, thrusting his Week 7 availability against the Las Vegas Raiders into serious doubt. For a Rams offense already operating without Davante Adams (IR), losing their most dynamic receiver would be a backbreaking blow to a team sitting at 2-4. His status was officially listed as questionable on the final injury report, with reports describing his Week 7 availability as "very much up in the air."

The one piece of semi-encouraging news: the calf injury was not believed to be serious in nature. But "not serious" and "available Sunday" are two very different things, and the Rams weren't offering guarantees. Nacua had been productive before the injury scare, hauling in 6 receptions for 80 yards in Los Angeles' Week 6 loss to the Cardinals — a performance that underscores just how much the offense leans on him.

Complicating the injury story is a separate, thornier narrative: allegations that the Rams have been suppressing information about Nacua's health status. According to reporting from Heavy Sports, the franchise faces accusations of a cover-up related to Nacua's condition, adding an off-field controversy to what is already a stressful week in Inglewood.

Fred Warner Handed Steep NFL Fines

Meanwhile, in the Bay Area, Fred Warner's dominant Week 6 performance came with a significant financial consequence.

The San Francisco 49ers linebacker was levied two separate fines by the NFL following the 49ers' 23-17 victory over Washington — totaling a substantial sum, according to multiple reports. The fines stemmed from Warner's hit on Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo, which officials flagged on the field before picking the call up. The NFL apparently saw enough to act after the fact, citing a hit on a defenseless player as the basis for the punishment.

Warner, one of the premier linebackers in the game and a central figure in San Francisco's defense, wasn't given any reprieve despite the flag being waived off during the game itself. The double fine underscores how seriously the league is treating player safety enforcement this season, even when referees reverse calls in real time.

Allgeier's Opportunity Expands

One quieter BYU storyline worth tracking: Tyler Allgeier and the Arizona Cardinals backfield. With fellow RB Jeremiyah Love dealing with an injury that threatened his Week 7 status, Allgeier's role was set to expand. He had already posted 38 rushing yards and a reception in Arizona's 18-16 win over the Rams in Week 6 — a victory that, incidentally, contributed to Nacua's tough afternoon. Love's absence would push Allgeier into a more prominent workload, making the former Cougar a name to watch as the Cardinals try to build on that win.

Three BYU alumni, three distinct NFL storylines — injury intrigue, a league crackdown, and a backfield opportunity — in a single week.

Two BYU alumni stepped into the spotlight during Week 5 and 6 of the NFL season — one with a record-breaking performance that still wasn't enough to win, the other inheriting a starting job at exactly the right time.

Puka Nacua Puts Up a Monster, Rams Still Fall

Puka Nacua delivered arguably the most eye-catching individual performance of any BYU alumnus in recent memory on Monday Night Football — and walked away with a loss to show for it.

The Los Angeles Rams wide receiver caught a career-high 17 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown in a 37-34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills, a performance that earned him top PFF marks among all Rams skill players. The numbers were dazzling. The result was not.

Nacua didn't hide his frustration afterward. Speaking candidly to reporters, he said the team needs to "look in the mirror and say what our identity will be" — a pointed message following a 2-3 start that has cooled early-season Super Bowl optimism around Los Angeles. The Rams put up big offensive numbers against the Bills, but special teams and situational football were the undoing of Sean McVay's squad in overtime.

Nacua's 17-catch game was the headliner, but it underscored a deeper tension: individual brilliance isn't translating to wins for a Rams team that expected to compete at the top of the NFC.

Allgeier Steps Into the Cardinals' Backfield

With Arizona's Jeremiyah Love ruled out for Week 6 due to an ankle injury, Tyler Allgeier is set to inherit the starting running back role — and with it, the kind of opportunity that rarely comes twice in a season.

The former BYU standout has been patiently waiting in the backfield, and Love's absence figures to mean a significant uptick in carries and touches. Fantasy analysts at Sports Illustrated have already flagged Allgeier as a must-start, citing the potential for "colossal volume" in his first crack at a full workload.

In Week 5, Allgeier managed just 7 rushing yards and 9 receiving yards in a 45-21 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions — a performance that reflected the chaos of the game rather than his ceiling. Week 6 is a different situation entirely.

Around the League

Fred Warner continues to be one of the NFL's premier linebackers for the San Francisco 49ers. The BYU product forced a fumble on Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson in San Francisco's 32-29 victory on October 11 — a turnover that helped swing the game in the 49ers' favor. Warner also offered public praise for teammate Mike Evans this week, calling his consistency "unreal."

Kingsley Suamataia, the Chiefs' offensive tackle, returned from injury following Kansas City's bye week, according to coach Andy Reid. The BYU product had missed time after going down in Week 4, but his return is a boost for a Chiefs offensive line already navigating the absence of left tackle Josh Simmons.

Taysom Hill, who spent years as one of the Saints' most versatile weapons after his BYU career, made an appearance on ESPN's College GameDay on October 17 — a nod to both his alma mater's big weekend and his status as one of the more unconventional NFL careers in recent history.

BYU's NFL footprint spans roster spots across the league, but this week, the Cougars' alumni story ran through Nacua's brilliant, bittersweet Monday night and Allgeier's shot at proving he belongs as a featured back.