Florida State Professional Athletes

Florida State alumni had no shortage of storylines in Week 5, with a career day in Buffalo, a steady hand under center in New York, and a trade cloud hanging over Pittsburgh all keeping the Seminole faithful busy.

Coleman Delivers, But Bills Fall Short

Keon Coleman turned in the best performance of his young NFL career on Sunday — and it wasn't enough. The former FSU wideout hauled in 6 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown against New England, but Buffalo dropped a 29-26 decision to the Patriots. That stat line, however, signals something real is developing in Coleman's game. According to Sports Illustrated, Coleman has shifted into a defined role player rather than forcing himself into a No. 1 receiver mold, and the advanced metrics back up the idea that the approach is working. At this pace, 2026 is shaping up as the breakout year Coleman's draft profile always hinted at — even if Week 5 ended in the wrong column.

The loss stings more given that Coleman was listed on Buffalo's injury report heading into the week. He played through it and delivered anyway.

Winston Keeps Giants in the Hunt

Jameis Winston did exactly what New York needed him to do against Arizona. The 12-year veteran threw for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns — a commanding performance — though two interceptions served as a reminder of the double-edged sword the Giants are working with. New York won 36-24, improving to 4-1, and Winston's stated singular focus ahead of the game was simple: get the Giants their fourth win. Mission accomplished, though the broader question of how far Winston can carry this team into January remains open.

Washington's defensive coaches were already scheming to exploit Winston's turnover tendencies heading into the week's film sessions, and those two picks will only sharpen that focus for future opponents. Fellow 'Nole Brian Burns, who is sidelined for the season with a knee injury, watched from his couch — posting his reaction on social media as the Giants' defense sealed the win with a pick-six.

Also on the field for the Giants-Cardinals game: Josh Sweat, now with Arizona, who recorded a sack in the loss.

Ramsey's Pittsburgh Chapter Gets Complicated

Jalen Ramsey didn't make news with his play this week — he made it with his words. The three-time All-Pro cornerback publicly put the Steelers' coaching staff on notice through the media, then took to social media to clarify his message after it drew attention. Separately, Ramsey was forced to shoot down rumors that he colluded with former teammate Joey Porter Jr. — who was traded to Dallas last week — in pushing for a departure from Pittsburgh.

The noise around Ramsey grew louder when reports surfaced linking him to the Detroit Lions as a trade target, with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noting uncertainty about Pittsburgh's willingness to deal. Ramsey also missed Wednesday's practice, adding an injury question to an already complicated situation. For FSU fans tracking his career arc, the picture in Pittsburgh is murky — a franchise icon unsettled, and a trade market beginning to take shape around him.

Week 5 was a reminder that Florida State's NFL footprint runs deep, from Buffalo's receiving corps to the Giants' QB room to the Steelers' secondary drama.

The New York Giants are a mess — and two Florida State alumni are writing the most compelling chapters of that mess simultaneously.

Burns Goes Down, Winston Steps Up

Brian Burns was already the defensive cornerstone of a Giants team hemorrhaging injuries when his season ended before October even arrived. The All-Pro edge rusher tore his ACL, confirmed by head coach John Harbaugh ahead of surgery, and joins starting QB Jaxson Dart on what is quietly becoming the most devastating early-season injury list in the NFL. Burns was on the field for New York's Week 3 win over Tennessee — a 12-7 slog through what Sports Illustrated described as a nor'easter-level mess — but that game would be his last of 2026.

Even in his absence, Burns' fingerprints are everywhere. The pass rush problem he leaves behind is already a topic consuming Giants fans and media, and a Super Bowl-winning edge rusher reached out to the organization following the news — a signal of just how significant the loss registers around the league.

Into the void stepped Jameis Winston. The veteran QB, thrust into the starting role when Dart went down in Week 2, navigated the ugly, no-touchdown win over the Titans with 118 passing yards and 14 rushing yards — not a stat line that inspires confidence, but enough to secure a win. Winston dedicated the victory to Dart, framing the result as a team rallying around an injured teammate rather than a personal showcase. Giants coach Brian Nagy was candid about his feelings on Winston this week, acknowledging the situation in a media session that also had to address the team's blockbuster trade for J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings — a move that immediately raises questions about Winston's long-term grip on the starting job.

For now, Winston holds the role. He'll make his second start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium.

A Sweat Subplot Across the Field

There's a Florida State wrinkle on the other sideline, too. Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat entered the week listed as questionable with a groin injury, and Arizona's decision to elevate practice squad edge Cameron Robertson is being read as a sign Sweat may not suit up. It would be a minor subplot in most weeks — but given that the Giants' pass rush just lost Burns, the prospect of Sweat sitting out a game against New York carries some irony the football gods clearly enjoy.

Verse Brings the Heat in Cleveland

Away from the Giants' drama, FSU defensive end Jared Verse has made himself impossible to ignore in Cleveland. The Browns beat Carolina 21-18 in Week 3 with Verse contributing, then topped the Steelers 27-24 on Thursday Night Football in Week 4. Verse's postgame reactions after both games went viral — a four-word message to the Dawg Pound after the Carolina debut, and a pointed, NSFW warning directed at Pittsburgh's offensive line following what he called a dirty play injuring teammate Mason Graham. Verse is fully bought into AFC North football, and Cleveland fans appear to have found their next personality.

Elsewhere, Keon Coleman caught one pass for 37 yards in Buffalo's 24-16 win over the Chargers in Week 3, and Jarrian Jones came away with an interception as Jacksonville routed New England 35-6. Smaller moments in a week dominated, as it often is for FSU alumni, by whatever is happening in East Rutherford.

When the Giants limped off the field Monday night after a 28-6 blowout loss to the Rams, the damage extended far beyond the scoreboard. Two Florida State alumni — quarterback Jameis Winston and linebacker Brian Burns — emerged from the wreckage as the twin focal points of a franchise suddenly in full emergency mode.

Winston Inherits the Wreckage

Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee injury, confirmed to require surgery, handed Winston the starting job he's been waiting for. The former FSU Heisman winner was on the field against the Rams when disaster struck — he finished the night with 111 passing yards and an interception in the lopsided defeat — but Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans will mark his first true start as QB1.

The transition hasn't been seamless off the field, either. The Giants moved quickly to shore up the depth chart, signing Jake Haener as Winston's backup and exploring a broader trade market that has drawn links to names like Justin Fields and J.J. McCarthy as longer-term insurance. Giants receiver Malik Nabers, for his part, publicly expressed confidence in Winston and his style of play — a signal the locker room isn't panicking, even if the front office is.

GM Joe Schoen is clearly not content to ride out the season with Winston as the only answer. But until a trade materializes, the 32-year-old 'Nole is the man under center in New York.

Burns Adds to the Misery

Winston's situation would be complicated enough on its own. But the Giants absorbed another gut punch when Burns — their most disruptive pass rusher and a defensive cornerstone — exited Monday's game late with an ankle injury. The good news, such as it is: surgery is not expected to be required. The bad news: Burns is likely to miss time, leaving New York's already-thin pass rush even more threadbare heading into a Week 3 matchup against Tennessee.

With Burns' status uncertain, the Giants' defensive coaches spent the week scheming around his absence, reportedly looking to exploit Titans quarterback Will Levis's slow release to generate pressure from other personnel. It's a creative workaround — but it underscores how much New York is counting on players who weren't in the original blueprint.

Two FSU products, two injury-driven storylines, one very bad week for Big Blue.

Around the League

The rest of the 'Noles alumni corps had a mixed weekend. Braden Fiske was on the winning side of the Giants blowout, contributing for the Rams in their 28-6 victory. Jared Verse suited up for the Browns in a 23-19 win over Tampa Bay, where Kevin Knowles was on the losing end for the Buccaneers. Joshua Farmer recorded a sack for the Patriots in their 20-3 win over Pittsburgh, where Jalen Ramsey and Asante Samuel Jr. were on the wrong side of a lopsided result. Ryan Fitzgerald and the Panthers were routed 34-3 by Atlanta, while Jermaine Johnson II and the Titans fell 24-20 to Philadelphia — setting up a date next week with Winston and the Giants.

Florida State's NFL alumni made headlines in all directions during the opening weeks of the 2026 season — and not always for the right reasons.

Keon Coleman: Primetime Star, Then a Scary Exit

The biggest FSU story of the week belonged to Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman, who delivered his most consistent professional performance in Buffalo's Thursday night showdown with Detroit — and then sent fans holding their breath.

Coleman hauled in 6 catches for 63 yards against the Lions, stepping up in a significant role after DJ Moore was sidelined. The third-year wideout earned widespread praise for his poise and reliability on the big stage, with coaches and analysts noting that his performance was less about the raw numbers and more about the consistent execution he brought on every route. The Bills won 41-31.

But the night turned alarming in the second quarter when Coleman went down with an injury that drew an immediate hush across the stadium. Updates on his status emerged slowly, and the severity remains a storyline to monitor heading into Week 3.

Coleman had a quieter showing in Week 1 — just 1 catch for 1 yard in Buffalo's 36-31 win over Houston — making his Thursday night breakout all the more meaningful, and his exit all the more deflating.

Jared Verse: A Rough Welcome to Cleveland

Across the league, Jared Verse was enduring a debut to forget. The Browns' marquee offseason addition failed to make the impact Cleveland had envisioned in a 34-10 blowout loss to Jacksonville. Verse, acquired to anchor a retooled defensive front, was largely neutralized by the Jaguars' offensive line. It was one game, but the margin of defeat and Verse's invisibility in it set an uncomfortable early tone for a player expected to be a cornerstone of the Cleveland defense.

Brian Burns Talks Strategy Ahead of Giants-Cowboys Opener

On the other side of the ledger, Giants pass rusher Brian Burns entered Week 1 with something to say. Burns revealed the New York defensive game plan for stopping Dallas, identifying what the Cowboys were "so concerned" about heading into the high-profile NFC East opener. The Giants came away with a 28-20 victory, a result that validated at least some of Burns' pregame confidence.

It was a notable week off the field for Burns as well, with his mother Angela opening up publicly about game-day nerves and her own advocacy work — a reminder that Burns' profile extends well beyond the field.

Around the Rest of the Roster

Mario Edwards Jr. drew league discipline after a hit on Bills quarterback Josh Allen in Houston's Week 1 loss — a fine that underscored the fine line defensive linemen walk in today's NFL. Josh Sweat, now with the Cardinals, responded to a noisy offseason with a quiet statement: Arizona knocked off the Chargers 26-14 in Week 1, with Sweat part of a defense that held Derwin James Jr. and the LA offense in check. The two former Seminoles ended up on opposite sidelines in the same game — with Sweat's squad walking away with the win.

Jacob Rizy, the rookie offensive lineman out of FSU, was waived from the Patriots' practice squad during the week, a quiet but notable roster move in New England.

It was a week that captured everything FSU's NFL contingent represents right now: genuine star power, rising expectations, and the constant volatility of early-season football.