California Professional Athletes

It was a week that reminded the NFL — and anyone who bleeds blue and gold — that Berkeley produces quarterbacks.

Rodgers Makes History in the City of Lights

Aaron Rodgers didn't need a backdrop as grand as Paris to add to his legacy, but the Stade de France provided one anyway. In the NFL's first-ever game on French soil, the 42-year-old Steelers quarterback broke Peyton Manning's all-time NFL touchdown pass record, connecting on a short toss to Darnell Washington in the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints. Pittsburgh won 16–10, and Rodgers finished the day with 212 passing yards and that milestone touchdown.

The moment was years in the making. Rodgers had tied Manning the week prior and needed just one throw in Paris to stand alone atop the most storied statistical list in pro football. It was his 539th — or beyond — career TD pass, cementing a legacy that now places him above Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and Manning himself.

The Paris stage added theatre to the moment — Rodgers was spotted turning heads alongside soccer legend Paul Pogba before kickoff — but the achievement was pure substance. The Steelers remain a legitimate contender, buoyed by a formidable defense and a quarterback who has, at 42, seen absolutely everything.

There are real questions about Pittsburgh's supporting cast — the team ranks 20th in yards per game and 22nd in scoring, and Rodgers checks in at just 11th in passing yards — which is fueling trade deadline chatter about adding a wide receiver. But on the record-breaking day itself, none of that noise mattered.

Goff Quietly Becoming the League's Best QB

While Rodgers was grabbing global headlines across the Atlantic, Jared Goff was doing what he's done all season: quietly dismantling defenses and making the MVP conversation impossible to ignore.

Coming off a bye, Goff led the Lions to a 20–17 win over the Green Bay Packers, going 22-of-32 for 303 yards and two touchdowns against zero interceptions. That kind of efficiency has become his signature in 2026. Entering Week 8, Goff is on pace to become the first quarterback in NFL history with 15 or more touchdown passes and no interceptions through six games — a level of ball security that has earned him the No. 1 quarterback ranking in the league.

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who has faced Goff dating back to their days in the Rams-Patriots rivalry in 2016, offered a candid assessment ahead of the Lions' Week 8 matchup: Goff has grown dramatically as a player. That kind of respect from a defensive mind isn't given lightly.

The MVP label — once considered a surprise for Goff — is starting to feel less like a dark horse story and more like a frontrunner's inevitability.

The Cal Connection

Two quarterbacks. Two completely different arcs. Rodgers is a 42-year-old finishing a storied career on a historic note — still competing, still making history, still polarizing. Goff is a 31-year-old in his prime, finally getting the recognition his numbers have long deserved.

What they share, besides a Berkeley diploma, is a week that reminded the NFL just how deep the Cal QB pipeline runs.

Aaron Rodgers Is Rewriting the Record Books — and the Map

Cal's most prominent NFL alumnus had a week that belonged in a highlight reel and a history book simultaneously.

Aaron Rodgers led the Pittsburgh Steelers past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-19 on Sunday, finishing with 253 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The final TD was the one for the ages: a game-winning throw that moved Rodgers into a tie with Peyton Manning on the NFL's all-time touchdown pass list. For a quarterback whose career resurrection in Pittsburgh was far from guaranteed, landing alongside Manning in the record books is a statement few saw coming when the 2026 season began.

And the week isn't over yet. Rodgers is now set to make NFL history of an entirely different kind when the Steelers face the New Orleans Saints in Paris — the first quarterback ever to play international games in three consecutive seasons across three different countries. The milestone hasn't come without friction: Rodgers made clear he was unhappy with the Steelers' travel logistics, voicing a preference for arriving in France earlier than the team's Friday-morning schedule allowed. He pushed the same message last year. Pittsburgh, apparently, isn't listening.

The Paris matchup pits Rodgers against a Saints squad that features fellow Cal alum Cameron Jordan at defensive end — a collision of Cal alumni that Bay Area fans will be tracking closely.

Nohl Williams Faces a Defining Moment in Kansas City

While Rodgers was rewriting history in Pittsburgh, Chiefs cornerback Nohl Williams was locking into one of the tougher assignments of his young career. Williams suited up Sunday as Kansas City handled the Los Angeles Chargers 22-6, a dominant defensive performance that set the tone for a big Week 7. Coming into the game, Williams had been flagged as someone who might struggle against elite wide receiver competition — a narrative he had every reason to answer. The Chiefs' defense delivered collectively, and Williams was part of that effort.

Next up for Williams and the Chiefs: a trip to Seattle for a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Seahawks, where the Cal rookie corner will again face a stiff test at the perimeter.

Allen and Bynum Contribute in Tennessee Loss

In Indianapolis, the Colts dropped a 26-20 decision to the Titans, but two Cal alumni made their marks. Wide receiver Keenan Allen hauled in 8 receptions for 82 yards — a solid, workmanlike afternoon for a veteran who continues to be one of the most reliable route-runners in the league. Safety Cam Bynum added a pick for the Colts, a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating afternoon for Indianapolis.

Fellow Cal alum Marcus Harris was on the other side of that game for Tennessee, helping the Titans hold on for the win.

Around the Rest of the Cal Alumni Network

Cameron Jordan and the Saints beat the Giants 34-27 on Sunday, with New Orleans heading to Paris with some momentum. Punter Bryan Anger and the Cowboys fell to the Packers 23-13 in a rough outing for Dallas. Safety Elijah Hicks helped the Bears win twice this week — 31-23 over Atlanta on Sunday and 30-24 over New England on Thursday night. Safety Jaylinn Hawkins and linebacker Teddye Buchanan were on the losing end as the Ravens fell to the Browns 13-10.

It was a sprawling week across the league for Cal's NFL contingent — but make no mistake, all eyes are pointing to Paris.

Three Cal Bears, Three Headlines Worth Talking About

It was a Week 5 to remember for California alumni in the NFL — and not because of a single breakout performance, but because three Golden Bears made news simultaneously, each in their own right.

Aaron Rodgers Rewrites History — Again

At 42, Aaron Rodgers keeps finding new names to leapfrog in the record books. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-22 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and in doing so, surpassed Peyton Manning on the NFL's all-time touchdown passing list. It wasn't just Manning he cleared — Rodgers also eclipsed Ben Roethlisberger in a separate milestone on the same afternoon, per Yahoo Sports.

The performance was Rodgers' third consecutive three-touchdown game, making him just the second Steelers QB in franchise history to accomplish that feat, joining Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw. Rodgers addressed the Manning milestone publicly after the game, and the reaction to a 42-year-old still rewriting the sport's record books has been predictably effusive. Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, whose team faces Pittsburgh next, was among those offering praise for what makes Rodgers so difficult to game-plan against.

Jared Goff Bounces Back — Emphatically

After a rough Week 4 loss to Carolina, Jared Goff needed a statement game. He delivered one. The Detroit Lions QB carved up the Arizona Cardinals for 271 passing yards, three touchdown passes, and even added a rushing score in a dominant 45-21 win — prompting ESPN's Dan Orlovsky to name Goff the second-best quarterback in the NFC this season. A former Packers wide receiver went further, calling Goff the best QB in the entire NFL.

Off the field, Goff's Instagram activity after the win became its own storyline. His cryptic three-word post drew reactions from Lions teammates, and his wife Christen got in a playful dig after he highlighted his rare rushing touchdown. It's the kind of peripheral noise that only follows a quarterback operating from a position of confidence.

Keenan Allen Crosses a Quiet but Significant Line

Lost amid the bigger headlines was a milestone worth appreciating: Keenan Allen, now with the Colts, surpassed Reggie Wayne on the NFL's all-time receptions list. Allen caught five passes for 45 yards in Indianapolis's loss to the Steelers, pushing his career total to 1,073 receptions — three more than Wayne's 1,070. The Colts legend acknowledged the milestone publicly, releasing a statement to recognize his successor atop the franchise's receiving hierarchy.

It was a bittersweet setting — Allen hit the mark in a loss, on a day when his former Cal teammate Rodgers was the one doing the damage on the other sideline. But the milestone stands on its own. Allen is now firmly inside the top tier of reception leaders in NFL history.

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Three Cal alumni. Three storylines. Week 5 belonged to the Bears.

Cal in the NFL: Week of Oct. 4–10

Two California alumni are generating the most noise in the NFL this week — one racing to get healthy in time for a pivotal AFC matchup, the other quietly becoming a cornerstone of the league's most decorated franchise.

Keenan Allen's Week 5 Status Hangs in the Balance

The Colts listed wide receiver Keenan Allen as questionable ahead of their Week 5 home clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers, putting the Cal product's availability on a knife's edge. Allen has been sidelined by a groin injury that already cost him time, and Indianapolis has been further thinned at the position after Alec Pierce landed on injured reserve.

The timing is particularly brutal. The Steelers come to town battered and frustrated — Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy were caught in a profanity-laced sideline confrontation during Pittsburgh's Week 4 loss to the Browns — but still dangerous. One ESPN analyst predicted Pittsburgh would benefit from a major weakness in the Colts' defense, meaning Indianapolis needs all hands on deck offensively. Allen's absence would hurt.

Notably, the Cal connection doesn't end at Allen in this game. Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers is also a Cal alum, meaning Golden Bear alumni will be on both sidelines — and potentially squaring off — when the Colts and Steelers kick off Sunday.

Nohl Williams Making Kansas City's Future Very Bright

While Allen sweats out his injury designation, Nohl Williams is thriving in Kansas City. The rookie cornerback has emerged alongside Mansoor Delane as one half of what Sports Illustrated describes as a young CB duo that "could terrorize opposing offenses for years to come." Williams was active in the Chiefs' 30-27 Week 5 victory over the Raiders, Kansas City's latest win as they continue their dynastic march through the AFC.

The praise for Williams isn't merely prospective — the Chiefs' staff has clearly trusted him enough to give him meaningful defensive snaps, a significant ask for a rookie corner in a Patrick Mahomes-era team with no margin for error. If the Williams-Delane pairing develops as projected, Cal will have a legitimate claim to supplying the NFL's best secondary tandem of the next decade.

Around the Rest of the Cal Alumni Board

Elsewhere in the NFL, Jared Goff turned in another efficient performance for the Lions, throwing for 412 yards and a touchdown in Detroit's 32-26 win over Carolina on Sunday. Goff continues to be one of the most reliable Cal quarterbacks in league history — and one of the busiest right now.

Craig Woodson picked off a pass for the Patriots in their narrow 29-26 win over Buffalo, giving New England a secondary highlight in an otherwise forgettable season. Cam Bynum was active for the Colts in their 30-13 rout of Washington the week prior, further deepening the Cal presence in Indianapolis.

Cameron Jordan had a rougher stretch — the Saints were blown out 45-24 by the Falcons, and Jordan publicly ripped the team's defense afterward, calling the performance "embarrassing." The veteran DE's frustration is understandable; New Orleans has struggled to find its identity on that side of the ball.

The Bears' Elijah Hicks was part of Chicago's 23-12 win over the Jets, a bright spot in what has otherwise been a rebuilding season on the lakefront.