Iowa State Professional Athletes

Brock Purdy Is the NFL's MVP Conversation

The former Iowa State signal-caller isn't just winning games — he's rewriting the historical record books alongside them. Through four weeks of the 2026 NFL season, Brock Purdy has emerged as the clear front-runner for league MVP, topping Patrick Mahomes in ESPN's weekly QB rankings and posting a statistical rarity that puts him in Peyton Manning territory. The specific feat, tracked by The Sporting News, underscores just how efficient Purdy has been: this isn't a volume-stat padded performance, but a precision operation that Manning-level completeness once defined.

The 49ers enter Week 5 undefeated at 4-0, a run that has made NFL history — the franchise hasn't achieved this particular milestone in 21 years, according to Heavy Sports. In Week 4, Purdy completed the job against the Broncos in a 24-14 victory, throwing for 218 yards and two touchdowns while adding 29 rushing yards. It wasn't gaudy, but it was surgical — the kind of performance that has Kyle Shanahan publicly praising Purdy's in-game mentality as a competitive edge in itself.

Wide receiver Mike Evans, who left Tampa Bay in the offseason specifically hunting for a winning culture and a franchise QB, has found exactly what he was looking for. "He gets me the ball," Evans said ahead of Sunday's matchup, a quote that sounds simple but carries significant weight coming from a future Hall of Famer who spent years in a quarterback carousel.

The Week 5 test, however, may be the most demanding of the season: a road trip to Seattle to face the Super Bowl champion Seahawks defense, currently ranked No. 1 in the NFL. Leonard Williams, Seattle's star DT, has been confirmed healthy and active — bad news for San Francisco. Purdy himself made an honest admission about the matchup, acknowledging that the Seahawks gave him two of his worst games last season, including a 13-3 loss in the regular-season finale that cost the 49ers seeding. The rematch carries stakes on both sides.

Storylines Elsewhere in the League

Breece Hall's Injury Scare was the other major Iowa State subplot of the week. The Jets RB's status for Week 5 against the Browns remained uncertain heading into the final injury report, with Heavy Sports reporting that the Jets were making last-minute decisions on Hall and receiver Adonai Mitchell simultaneously. Hall's absence would punch a significant hole in a Jets offense already navigating a turbulent stretch — New York lost to Chicago 23-12 in Week 4, a game in which Hall was held without notable production.

Will McDonald IV, the Jets' edge rusher, generated trade deadline buzz of his own. With his role in New York uncertain, Sports Illustrated identified three likely trade destinations for the Iowa State pass rusher, and Heavy Sports floated a specific proposal sending him to the Detroit Lions — a team that could use his 22.5-career sack potential in a defensive upgrade push.

On the Texans side, Jaylin Noel turned in the most eye-catching stat line among Iowa State's Houston contingent, hauling in three catches for 85 yards in a 34-30 loss to Dallas — a performance that signals growing chemistry with Houston's passing game despite the defeat. David Montgomery contributed modestly with 24 rushing yards and 19 receiving yards in the same game.

Brock Purdy Is Making the MVP Conversation Uncomfortable to Ignore

Iowa State's most famous alumni export didn't just play well in Week 3 — he made the rest of the NFL look slow.

Brock Purdy capped a dominant September by earning NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors, capping it with a 297-yard, four-touchdown performance in the 49ers' 36-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals. He added 34 rushing yards to his ledger, and San Francisco moved to a clean 3-0. The 49ers have weathered a stretch of notable injuries to key skill players, and Purdy has been the stabilizing force throughout — head coach Kyle Shanahan went as far as comparing him to former NFL MVPs he coached earlier in his career, a comparison that would have seemed outlandish just a few seasons ago.

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky was blunter: no quarterback in the NFL is playing better right now. Wide receiver Mike Evans, in his first year with the 49ers, called it "the highest level that you can play." With Purdy drawing Hall of Fame comparisons from national media and sitting atop MVP odds heading into a Week 4 matchup with Denver, the case is no longer a novelty — it's a legitimate argument.

The 49ers-Broncos game carries its own Iowa State subplot: Denver's Eyioma Uwazurike recorded a sack in a 30-26 Broncos win over the Rams on the same Sunday, giving the defensive end something to build on as his team prepares to face Purdy directly.

Breece Hall's Week Ends Early in New York

The week wasn't as bright for Breece Hall. The Jets running back exited Sunday's 31-24 loss to the Detroit Lions with a thigh injury after carrying the ball for 32 yards and catching three passes for 23 yards. The injury, described as a quad issue, left him week-to-week per ESPN's Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter, and the Jets ruled him out entirely for Week 4 against the Chicago Bears.

Hall's absence removes a genuine offensive anchor from a Jets team already struggling. New York has dropped two in a row, and without their 1,000-yard back from a season ago, the path forward against Chicago looks murky. Head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed the decision officially at Friday's practice. The Jets will have to piece together a running game without their most important backfield piece.

Around the Rest of the Cyclone Alumni

Elsewhere on Sunday, David Montgomery carried for 33 yards and added two catches for 15 yards for the Texans, but Houston fell to the Colts 19-17 in a tight loss. Xavier Hutchinson contributed three receptions for 51 yards in the same game, providing a brief bright spot in an otherwise frustrating afternoon. Jaylin Noel also saw action, rushing for 8 yards and catching two passes for 17 yards.

It was a week defined by contrasts for Iowa State's NFL contingent — one alum ascending toward the league's biggest individual award, another sidelined and watching his team spiral. Cyclone fans could be forgiven for splitting their attention between MVP highlight reels and injury reports.

Purdy Is Playing Like the Best QB Alive

The "Mr. Irrelevant" narrative is dead. Brock Purdy is playing like anything but.

The Iowa State alumnus torched the Miami Dolphins in Week 2, completing all but two of his passes for 287 yards and two touchdown passes, adding a rushing score in a dominant 35-13 San Francisco victory. The 49ers converted all five red zone possessions into touchdowns — a reflection of Purdy's command of Kyle Shanahan's offense at its most precise. San Francisco is 2-0, and the case is being made in league circles that only Josh Allen is playing better football right now.

Teammates have taken notice. Trent Williams publicly compared Purdy to Patrick Mahomes after Sunday's performance, and new 49ers wide receiver Brandin Cooks delivered a strong endorsement ahead of Week 3. Perhaps most telling: San Francisco's offensive line has yet to allow a sack on Purdy through two weeks, giving him a clean pocket to operate from every snap. Purdy himself has pointed to specific areas of his game he's worked on in the offseason — footwork, pre-snap processing — as driving the step up in performance. The results speak for themselves.

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Kolar Goes Down in L.A.'s Rough Start

Not all Iowa State alumni had a week to remember. Cyclones tight end Charlie Kolar logged three catches for 21 yards in the Chargers' 26-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders — and was subsequently placed on injured reserve with a forearm injury, leaving the 0-2 Chargers dangerously thin at the position. Los Angeles has now lost both of its top tight ends and faces a brutal Week 3 road trip to Buffalo. Kolar's absence opens a real hole in Jim Harbaugh's offense at the worst possible time.

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Cyclones Scattered Across the Weekend

Breece Hall was the most productive Iowa State skill player not named Purdy, turning five catches into 63 receiving yards and rushing 29 more in the Jets' narrow 20-17 loss to the Packers. Hall continues to do his part in New York's offense; the Jets just need the wins to follow.

In Houston, three Iowa State pass-catchers suited up against Cincinnati but couldn't generate much in a 20-6 Texans loss. Xavier Hutchinson led the group with three catches for 37 yards, while Jaylin Noel added a 31-yard reception and 13 rushing yards. David Montgomery managed just 10 yards on the ground as Houston's offense sputtered. Jake Hummel, the other Cyclone on Houston's roster, won't be joining them on the field any time soon — the linebacker was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week.

The Iowa State footprint across the NFL is wide, but right now, all roads lead back to Purdy. The former Cyclone is turning the "how good is he really?" conversation into a closed case, one near-perfect performance at a time.

Iowa State didn't just have alumni in the NFL on Sunday — it had a reunion. Five Cyclones made meaningful contributions in Week 1, with two of them delivering the kind of performances that stop a highlight reel cold.

Montgomery Makes History in Houston Debut

David Montgomery wasted no time announcing himself as a Texan. The former Lion tied an NFL record with three touchdowns in his team debut — two rushing, one receiving — as Houston built a 28-27 lead over the Buffalo Bills late in the game. Montgomery finished with 60 rushing yards and 19 receiving yards on three catches in a game that ultimately slipped away, with the Bills winning 36-31. But the performance itself was historic, and Montgomery was already looking ahead. "We haven't scratched the surface," he said of the Texans' ground attack — a statement that should worry opposing defenses for the next 16 weeks.

The loss came with added noise: Montgomery is among the players potentially facing league discipline following the game.

Hall Leads Jets to Season-Opening Win

Across the league, Breece Hall was doing what he does. The Jets back rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown — including a second-half score that pushed New York's lead to 17-7 — as the Jets handled Tennessee 23-10. Hall also chipped in 16 yards on two receptions, proving again that he's a genuine dual-threat weapon. It was a clean, efficient, dominant performance, and fantasy managers and Jets fans alike are paying close attention: the buzz around Hall heading into Week 2 is loud.

Hall wasn't the only Cyclone making the Jets better, either. Defensive end Will McDonald IV recorded a sack in the win, and his showing was sharp enough that Sports Illustrated called extending him a Week 2 priority for GM Darren Mougey. When a player generates contract urgency after one game, that's a statement.

The Houston Pipeline

Montgomery wasn't the only Iowa State product suiting up for the Texans. Wide receivers Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel both contributed in the loss to Buffalo. Noel was the more explosive of the two, hauling in two catches for 53 yards. Hutchinson added three receptions for 32 yards. Neither stat line will make national headlines, but having three former Cyclones on the same NFL roster — all active, all contributing — underscores how thoroughly Iowa State has embedded itself in the league's talent pipeline.

The Bigger Picture

Five Iowa State alumni played meaningful snaps on the same Sunday in NFL Week 1. Two of them turned in historically notable or statistically elite performances. Montgomery tied a record in his debut. Hall cleared 100 yards. McDonald forced a contract conversation after a single game. This isn't a fluke — it's a program whose NFL footprint keeps expanding.

The Cyclones don't make noise on Saturdays anymore. Sundays are theirs now, too.