Fresno State Professional Athletes

Fresno State's NFL footprint ran the full spectrum this week — from a Hall of Fame–caliber milestone to a $92 million cautionary tale.

Davante Adams Joins Rare Air

The most decorated Bulldog in NFL history added another line to his résumé on Sunday. Davante Adams surpassed 13,000 career receiving yards during the Los Angeles Rams' 24-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on October 4, entering one of the most exclusive clubs in NFL history. Adams needed just nine yards to reach the mark entering the game and got there on four catches for 32 yards — workmanlike production that happened to carry historic weight.

The milestone cements his status as the premier receiver ever to come out of Fresno State, and the broader conversation around his legacy only grows as the yards accumulate. The Rams are leaning heavily on Adams and Puka Nacua as their top two options, with a receiver depth chart behind them that Sports Illustrated has flagged as a persistent organizational concern. For now, Adams remains the unquestioned centerpiece — and the milestone speaks for itself.

Jake Haener Gets His Roster Spot

Quietly but meaningfully, Jake Haener earned a promotion that matters. The Giants signed the Fresno State product to their 53-man roster this week, elevating him from the practice squad ahead of New York's matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. Haener backs up Jameis Winston, with newly acquired J.J. McCarthy serving as the emergency third option — a configuration that puts Haener firmly inside the building as a live NFL quarterback, not a developmental afterthought.

It's a notable step for Haener, who has worked his way back onto an active roster after bouncing through the league's developmental tiers. Getting onto a 53-man roster, regardless of circumstance, is a career data point that doesn't disappear.

DaRon Bland's Struggles Deepen

No Fresno State alum generated more scrutiny this week than DaRon Bland — and none of it was flattering. The Cowboys cornerback, playing on a four-year, $92 million extension signed on the strength of his historic 2023 season (nine interceptions, five returned for touchdowns), has been a liability through the early weeks of 2026.

Bland struggled again in Dallas's Week 4 win over the Houston Texans and then had a nightmare showing in the Cowboys' Week 5 loss to Tampa Bay. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer publicly called him out after the Tampa debacle, a notable escalation of the team's internal frustration. Sports Illustrated reported the Cowboys' front office remains surprisingly bullish on Bland's ability to turn it around — an optimism the outlet described as "alarmingly delusional." Owner Jerry Jones has downplayed concerns publicly, but the numbers haven't backed him up.

The Cowboys acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of Week 4 in a move that was widely read as a response to Bland's struggles, though Dallas has maintained Bland remains a starter. Calls from analysts to move him out of that role are growing louder by the week.

For a player who once looked like a generational playmaker at the position, the fall from grace has been steep — and the contract guarantees a spotlight that won't dim anytime soon.

Davante Adams Is the Rams' Best Weapon — and He Knows It

Fresno State's most decorated NFL alumni had the kind of week that silences doubters. Davante Adams hauled in 7 catches for 137 yards as the Los Angeles Rams fell to the Denver Broncos 26-30 on Sunday, Sept. 27 — a loss that stings even more given how dominant the veteran wideout was on the day. Adams did his part; the Rams couldn't finish.

The performance drew national attention beyond the box score. Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin called out Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II — widely considered one of the best in the league — as "scared" to guard Adams, a remarkable indictment of a shutdown corner from one of the game's all-time greats. Adams wasn't finished making noise off the field, either. With the Rams sitting at 1-2, he publicly called out what he sees as a fixable problem within the offense, urging the team to address its issues before the hole gets too deep. Blunt, urgent, and delivered with the authority of someone putting up 137-yard games — Adams isn't just talking.

The team heads into a Week 4 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, and both Adams and quarterback Matthew Stafford have acknowledged the challenge ahead. For a Rams offense still finding its footing, their Fresno State wideout remains the most reliable thing on the field.

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Haener's Role Shrinks as Giants Shake Up Their QB Room

Jake Haener's 2026 season has become a study in roster turbulence. The former Bulldog signal-caller entered the year as the New York Giants' backup quarterback, but a flurry of front-office moves has reshuffled his standing considerably.

It started when the Giants acquired J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 fifth-round pick ahead of the Week 4 window. The move was framed as a boost for the offense — and for star receiver Malik Nabers — but it came directly at the expense of Haener and incumbent starter Jameis Winston. In the immediate aftermath, the Giants waived Haener, though the team announced its intention to re-sign him to the practice squad, keeping him in the organization but off the 53-man roster.

New York head coach Brian Daboll acknowledged the Giants are still working out how to deploy McCarthy and Haener in supporting roles, underscoring just how much is being improvised on the fly. Haener had served as Winston's backup through the team's Week 3 game against the Tennessee Titans — a role that now belongs to McCarthy. The Fresno State product remains in the Giants' orbit, but his path back to an active roster spot just got significantly narrower.

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Around the Rest of the Bulldog NFL World

DaRon Bland found himself at the center of another Dallas storyline — and not entirely in a good way. The Cowboys cornerback played in Dallas's 31-34 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 27, but the bigger news came with the team's acquisition of Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Multiple reports indicate that Porter's arrival makes Bland a prime cut candidate heading into 2027, raising real questions about his long-term future in Big D even as he continues to play this season.

Elsewhere, Nikko Remigio was active for the Kansas City Chiefs in their 24-10 win over the Miami Dolphins, and Jalen Moreno-Cropper suited up for the New Orleans Saints in a 27-35 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Neither registered a stat line in the brief, but both remain on active NFL rosters — which, for any Fresno State alumnus, is a story in itself.

Davante Adams reminded the NFL exactly who he is on Monday night — and he did it with a Fresno State stamp all over it.

The Rams wideout torched the Giants secondary for 8 catches, 195 yards, and 2 touchdowns in Los Angeles' 28-6 blowout on Monday Night Football, a performance that The Sporting News reported was historic for the Adams–Matthew Stafford duo. The Giants had no answer — and, according to Pro Football Talk, never seriously adjusted to try to find one.

The line that matters most: Adams did it without Puka Nacua, the Rams' other starting receiver, who sat out with a hip/groin injury. With the team's depth at wideout already thin, Adams didn't just fill the void — he turned the game into a highlight reel. Sean McVay kept feeding him the ball once it was clear he had the hot hand, and Adams delivered what Heavy Sports called a "Herculean effort" from a player McVay openly acknowledged the Rams didn't necessarily need to carry that kind of load.

Sports Illustrated noted the performance was masking a real concern: Los Angeles still lacks a dependable third receiver behind Adams and Nacua, a roster hole that's now being discussed openly in trade circles. But that's a front-office problem. On the field, Adams looked like the best receiver in the building — and maybe a few others too.

After the game, Adams didn't shy away from the big picture. He told reporters he believes Stafford belongs in the conversation among the NFL's all-time great quarterbacks — comments that, as Sports Illustrated noted, drew an unfortunate reaction from Lions fans given Stafford's tenure in Detroit. Adams has never been known for careful diplomacy, and he wasn't starting now.

The 33-year-old wideout, now in his first season with the Rams after leaving Green Bay and Las Vegas, is beginning to look like exactly the kind of reclamation story that defines late-career greatness. The Rams head into Week 3 at 1-1 with a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Broncos looming — and Adams has already been candid about his history with Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain II, telling Heavy Sports he has respect for Surtain after their previous meetings didn't always go his way.

Elsewhere in the Bulldog Alumni Report

Fresno State's other notable NFL news from the week came on the Giants' sideline — not the winning one. Quarterback Jake Haener, who went undrafted out of Fresno State in 2023, was signed by New York ahead of Week 3 as a backup to Jameis Winston following Jaxson Dart's injury. It's a roster spot, not a starring role, but Haener remains in the league and gets another shot to prove he belongs.

And in Dallas, cornerback DaRon Bland — the Cowboys' $90 million All-Pro — drew some scrutiny from Heavy Sports, which reported that critics have called him out for being targeted and "picked on" through the early weeks of the season. Bland has the contract and the résumé; the question is whether he can silence the early noise.

Adams, though, is the story. Eight catches, 195 yards, two scores, and a place in the record books. The kid from Fresno can still play.

Nikko Reed Gets His Shot

The NFL's attrition game is creating opportunity for Fresno State alumni this week, and cornerback Nikko Reed is the latest Bulldog to cash in.

The New York Giants signed Reed off the Los Angeles Chargers' practice squad ahead of their Monday night matchup against the Rams, adding cornerback depth at an urgent moment. New York's secondary was already stretched thin, with Tre'Davious Newsome, Deonte Banks, and Paulson Adebo all nursing injuries heading into the week. Facing a Rams receiving corps headlined by Puka Nacua and fellow Fresno State alum Davante Adams, the Giants needed bodies — and Reed provided one.

It's the kind of roster move that rarely makes back-page headlines, but for a player grinding through practice squads, a 53-man signing is everything. Reed, who came through the Chargers' system, now gets a legitimate shot to impress a Giants coaching staff in a high-visibility prime-time game.

Adams Under the Microscope

On the other sideline, Davante Adams faces a different kind of pressure — not the pressure to make the team, but the pressure to justify his place atop it.

Adams, still one of the most decorated wide receivers of his generation, has drawn scrutiny early in the 2026 season for failing to make enough of an impact as the Rams' WR2. With Puka Nacua commanding attention as Los Angeles's top target, Adams cannot afford to be a passenger. Analysts have flagged that the Rams' offense needs Adams to be a consistent, demanding presence — not a luxury option who disappears for stretches of games.

For Fresno State fans, it's a complicated watch. Adams remains the program's most prominent NFL ambassador, but the early narrative of the season has been one of unmet expectations. The Monday night spotlight against the Giants is exactly the kind of stage where Adams has historically thrived — and exactly the kind of game that could reset the conversation.

Around the Rest of the Bulldog Roster

Elsewhere in the Fresno State NFL diaspora, Dean Clark found his name in the news for a different reason. The Jets re-signed the safety to their practice squad — a move that signals veteran starter Minkah Fitzpatrick's injury may be more serious than initially reported, according to Sports Illustrated. Clark, listed as a free safety, gives New York insurance at a position that suddenly looks vulnerable.

DaRon Bland and the Cowboys dropped a 20-28 decision to the Giants in Week 1, while Nikko Remigio's Chiefs cruised past the Broncos 31-10 on Monday night. Neither player posted individual stats in the brief, but both remain active contributors on their respective rosters.

It's early in the season, but Fresno State's NFL footprint — from practice squad call-ups to starting-caliber veterans — is as wide as it's ever been. How Adams responds to the scrutiny and whether Reed can parlay his Giants opportunity into something lasting will be the storylines to watch as Week 2 unfolds.