Florida Professional Athletes

C.J. Gardner-Johnson has never been shy, but even by his standards, the Bills safety's postgame performance after Buffalo's 29-26 home loss to New England on Oct. 4 was a spectacle. The Florida alum didn't just accept the defeat — he torched Efton Chism III, the obscure Patriots receiver whose go-ahead touchdown catch sealed the upset, calling him a "practice squad player" and suggesting "probably won't hear from him again." That lit a fuse that burned for the better part of a week.

New England's locker room responded in force. Quarterback Drake Maye and team captains Kevin Byard and Hunter Henry all pushed back publicly, defending Chism and not-so-subtly taking shots at Gardner-Johnson's choice of targets. But the loudest reply came from the top. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel threw his own shade at the Bills safety, a move that prompted Gardner-Johnson to post a cryptic meme on social media — his version of having the last word. Whether Buffalo's defense has that luxury remains to be seen; the Bills dropped to 3-1 while New England handed them their first loss of the season at Highmark Stadium.

It's vintage Gardner-Johnson: combustible, entertaining, and impossible to ignore. The Florida product has built a career on making himself the story, and this week he delivered.

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Other Gators in the Mix

While Gardner-Johnson dominated the headlines, a handful of other Florida alumni had newsworthy weeks of their own.

Jonathan Greenard (Eagles) exited Philadelphia's 24-20 Week 4 loss to the Rams with an ankle injury, adding to a mounting Eagles injury crisis that already included DeVonta Smith, Zack Baun, and Lane Johnson. The good news: Greenard was considered day-to-day rather than facing a long-term absence. His teammate Dameon Pierce got an unexpected opportunity out of all the chaos — the Eagles elevated the former Texans back to the 53-man roster to provide depth after Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby also went down against Los Angeles.

Ricky Pearsall (49ers) didn't fare as well. The former first-round pick is out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn PCL, a brutal blow for a San Francisco receiving corps already ravaged by injuries. San Francisco cut ties with a veteran receiver in the same week as they scrambled to patch the position.

Kyle Pitts (Falcons) continued his quiet resurgence in Atlanta's Monday night blowout, hauling in three catches for 47 yards in a dominant 45-24 win over New Orleans — a reminder that the former No. 4 overall pick is still very much in the picture in Atlanta. Teammate C.J. Henderson, another Gator, is also finding his footing with the Falcons after years of being labeled a draft bust in Jacksonville.

And in Thursday Night Football, Alex Anzalone (Buccaneers) had a pick in Tampa Bay's 24-16 win over Dallas — a solid individual night even as his Florida teammate Shemar James (Cowboys) ended up on the losing end of that one.

It was a full week of Gator activity across the NFL. Gardner-Johnson just made sure everyone was paying attention.

Florida alumni had a week worth talking about across the NFL, headlined by a perfect kicker, a massive contract, and a pass rusher finally cleared to hunt.

McPherson Is Money

Evan McPherson didn't just have a good September — he had a flawless one. The Bengals kicker was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month after converting all eight of his field goal attempts through the first month of the season. Those weren't chip shots, either. McPherson's accuracy from distance has him sitting comfortably in the top five of fantasy kicker rankings heading into October, with Cincinnati hosting Jacksonville in Week 4. For a Bengals offense still finding its footing, McPherson has been the model of consistency — and the league noticed.

Dexter Cashes In

While McPherson was collecting hardware, former Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. was collecting dollars. The Atlanta Falcons wasted little time making their commitment official, handing Dexter a $78 million extension that cements him as a cornerstone of their defensive front. Atlanta's decision to lock him up came on the heels of an impressive start to the season, and the Falcons — who also count Florida alumni C.J. Henderson and Kyle Pitts on the roster — are increasingly becoming a Gator colony in the NFC South. Head coach Jeff Ulbrich has also publicly backed Henderson, a former No. 9 overall pick, as someone who's finally found a home in the Falcons' secondary.

Greenard Takes the Monday Night Stage

The most anticipated Florida debut of the week belonged to Jonathan Greenard, who suited up for the Eagles on Monday Night Football against the Bears in Chicago. Philadelphia had been deliberate about easing the outside linebacker into action, but with the Eagles' pass rush underperforming and key players — including DeVonta Smith, Zack Baun, and Dallas Goedert — ruled out heading into the week, the urgency to get Greenard going became impossible to ignore. The Bears won 27-7, a result that will only intensify the pressure on Greenard to provide an immediate jolt to a Philadelphia front that needs answers.

Around the League

Elsewhere, Cowboys defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard was placed on injured reserve after Dallas's 31-34 loss to Baltimore, cutting short his season. In Minneapolis, rookie DT Caleb Banks continued to reward the Vikings' patience, playing a role in Minnesota's 23-16 win over Tampa Bay — a game in which Buccaneers linebacker Alex Anzalone recorded a tackle and a sack in a losing effort. Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson snagged an interception in Buffalo's 24-16 win over the Chargers, while Anthony Richardson's trade situation in Indianapolis remained unresolved heading into Week 4 despite persistent speculation linking the former Gator to a move.

It was a week that ran the full range — from career-defining contracts to debut pressure to lingering uncertainty. Florida alumni are scattered across every corner of the league, and this week, more than a few of them made the highlights.

Florida's NFL alumni had a week defined by contrasting injury news: one Gator nearing a comeback, another heading to the shelf for an extended stay.

Greenard's Return Is Close — But Temper Expectations

The Eagles appear set to get their $98 million edge rusher back on the field, with Jonathan Greenard showing up favorably on Philadelphia's final Week 3 injury report. The former Florida pass rusher has been sidelined since training camp with a pec injury, missing the team's first two games of the season.

The encouraging news comes with a caveat, though. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been pointedly measured about what Greenard can realistically contribute immediately upon return. Fangio's messaging has been notably cautious — don't expect Greenard to ride in and instantly transform Philadelphia's pass rush. After missing all of the preseason and the first two weeks of regular-season action, a ramp-up period is almost certain, regardless of how clean the injury report looks.

Still, for a Gators fanbase tracking his trajectory, getting him on the field at all is progress. The Eagles need the production — and Greenard needs the snaps.

Robinson Carted Off, Lands on IR

The news was far grimmer out of San Francisco. Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was carted off the field during the 49ers' Week 2 win over the Dolphins — a 35-13 blowout in which he had caught 3 passes for 34 yards before leaving the game. The diagnosis: a significant high ankle sprain that has since landed him on injured reserve, with an expected absence of three to six weeks.

The blow lands harder than the name recognition might suggest. Robinson had carved out a reliable role in Kyle Shanahan's offense, and San Francisco's receiver room was already paper-thin heading into the week. Ricky Pearsall — another Florida alumnus on the 49ers roster — is already lost for the season with a torn PCL. With De'Zhaun Stribling also out, Robinson's injury pushed the 49ers to sign veteran Brandin Cooks just to maintain functional depth at the position.

The domino effect is real: Brandon Aiyuk is now shouldering an even heavier load, and San Francisco's offensive flexibility takes a meaningful hit while Robinson recovers.

Around the Rest of the Gator Nation

A few other Florida alumni made noise during the week. Trey Smack, the Packers' kicker, drilled the game-winning field goal in a 20-17 overtime win over the Jets on Sunday — a clutch moment for the undrafted Gator. Green Bay then turned around and handled Atlanta 35-14 on Thursday night, with Smack again contributing while J. Michael Sturdivant added 3 catches for 22 yards in the winning effort.

On the other sideline Thursday, Kyle Pitts Sr. remains a puzzle in Atlanta's offense. The Falcons broke out for 35 points against Green Bay, yet Pitts finished with just 1 catch for 5 yards — a quiet night for a player whose usage continues to draw scrutiny. He had managed only 1 reception for 15 yards in Atlanta's Week 2 loss to Carolina as well, making it back-to-back forgettable outings for one of the most talented tight ends in the league.

Caleb Banks continued to find his footing for the Vikings, who eked out a 9-3 defensive win over Chicago in Week 2, with Banks playing an elevated role amid injury concerns at defensive tackle around him.

McPherson Kicks Bengals Into the History Books

Evan McPherson didn't just make field goals in Cincinnati's Week 1 win over Tampa Bay — he made history. The former Florida Gator went a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal attempts as the Bengals held off the Buccaneers 33-27, and the performance was good enough to earn him his fifth AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor called him "the best kicker in the league" after the game, and the hardware suggests the rest of the NFL agrees. McPherson has now collected more AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors than any kicker in Bengals franchise history.

It's a clean, emphatic opening statement from a player who's made clutch kicking his calling card since arriving in Cincinnati out of Gainesville.

Anzalone's Rough Night in Tampa

The same game that cemented McPherson's legend was one to forget for fellow Gator Alex Anzalone. The veteran linebacker, now in Tampa Bay's colors after signing with the Buccaneers in the offseason, turned in the team's lowest-graded performance of the night. Per PFF, Anzalone missed two tackles and surrendered multiple chunk plays in coverage, finishing with a 32.3 overall grade. Head coach Todd Bowles publicly backed his veteran, but a 36 run-defense grade is a tough number to defend heading into Week 2.

Around the League

Elsewhere, the Gator pipeline produced a mixed Week 1 bag:

Malik Davis won't be a factor for the Cowboys the rest of the season. The running back underwent hip surgery after suffering a serious injury in practice, landing on injured reserve and forcing Dallas to scramble for backfield depth before their Week 2 matchup with the Giants.

Kaiir Elam's time with the Chargers is over before it really started. Los Angeles cut ties with the former first-round cornerback just days after the season opener, releasing him from the practice squad. Elam, selected 23rd overall in the 2022 draft, never found a foothold in the league after being traded out of Buffalo.

Austin Barber had the kind of debut that turns into a career. The rookie offensive lineman impressed Cleveland's coaching staff enough in the Browns' Week 1 loss to the Jaguars that he locked down his starting spot on the offensive line going forward — a rare bright spot in a difficult day for Cleveland.

Kyle Pitts is still searching for his 2026 footing. The Falcons tight end was targeted just once in Atlanta's 13-20 loss to Pittsburgh and failed to record a reception, leaving fantasy managers and Gator faithful alike frustrated heading into Week 2.

Jonathan Greenard was ruled out for the Eagles' Week 2 game against Tennessee, continuing an injury-hampered stretch for the edge rusher, who also missed time in the lead-up to the opener.

Anthony Richardson avoided a serious scare after missing practice Tuesday with a weightlifting injury, and remained on track to serve as the Colts' QB2 behind starter Daniel Jones for their Week 2 matchup.

It's early, but the McPherson story is the one worth bookmarking. If Week 1 is any indication, the Bengals' kicker isn't just the most reliable Gator in the NFL — he might be the most reliable kicker in it, full stop.