Iowa Professional Athletes

Iowa's NFL alumni delivered a week full of highlights — and heartbreak

The Hawkeyes had fingerprints all over the NFL's opening two weeks, from clutch receiving performances and a sack to a controversial fine and one of the most emotional postgame moments of the young season.

LaPorta, Hockenson, and Fant: Iowa TEs Running the League

The most consistent thread connecting Iowa's NFL week was the position Kirk Ferentz has made his calling card: tight end. Three Hawkeye TEs found the end zone or made noise in key spots across Weeks 1 and 2.

Sam LaPorta quietly put together back-to-back reliable outings for Detroit. In Week 1, the second-year Lions TE hauled in five catches for 48 yards in a nail-biting 31-30 win over the Saints — a game where Noah Fant, on the other sideline, countered with four catches for 33 yards and a touchdown of his own. LaPorta answered in Week 2, catching six passes for 52 yards and a touchdown in the Lions' Thursday night loss to the Bills. He's a reliable target for Detroit's offense under new OC Drew Petzing.

T.J. Hockenson, meanwhile, reminded everyone he's healthy and dangerous. The Vikings TE caught four passes for 36 yards and a touchdown in Minnesota's dominant 39-22 Week 1 win over Green Bay — a win that came, in large part, thanks to the next Hawkeye on this list.

Van Ness: Sack, Controversy, and a Fine That Raised Eyebrows

Lukas Van Ness recorded a sack in Green Bay's Week 1 loss to Minnesota, but the story that followed was messier. Van Ness was involved in the hit that sent Vikings QB Kyler Murray out of the game with a concussion — yet the NFL elected not to fine him for that play. Instead, the league fined Van Ness $17,911 for a separate illegal hit on Carson Wentz during the same game. The split decision drew immediate scrutiny, with many observers questioning the league's consistency. Van Ness was also briefly listed on the injury report ahead of Week 2 against the Jets before being removed and cleared to play.

Campbell's Gut-Punch Night in Buffalo

Detroit's Thursday night trip to Buffalo was rough all around, but it hit Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell especially hard. The Bills torched the Lions for 41 points and 446 yards, and Campbell — recently paid on a new contract — was visibly shaken afterward. He fought back tears at the podium while trying to explain the collapse, and alongside Aidan Hutchinson, called the defensive performance "terrible." Sports Illustrated flagged Campbell's run defense as a specific concern in the loss, raising questions about whether his big offseason extension came at the right moment. The rawness of Campbell's postgame moment resonated widely — a young leader confronting a humbling early-season test in public.

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It was an opening fortnight that captured everything Iowa football tends to produce at the next level: dependable tight ends doing their jobs, physical defenders making plays and headlines, and leaders wearing their emotions without apology. The Hawkeye footprint in the NFL is alive, well, and messy in the best way.

George Kittle Defies the Odds in Australia

The story of Iowa's NFL week begins and ends in Melbourne.

George Kittle, the Hawkeyes' most prominent pro alumni, suited up for the San Francisco 49ers' season-opening 27-7 demolition of the Los Angeles Rams on September 10 — a result that was far from guaranteed just days earlier. Kittle had torn his Achilles in the first round of the playoffs last season, and his availability for Week 1 was shrouded in uncertainty right up until ESPN's Adam Schefter reported he'd been cleared from the injury report entirely.

The numbers were modest — 2 receptions for 12 yards — but that's beside the point. Kittle being on the field at all was the headline. Postgame, he didn't shy away from the moment, delivering a pointed message to the Rams and making clear that suiting up in Australia meant everything to him personally after months of grueling rehabilitation. Sports Illustrated noted that Kittle and several other 49ers still left room for improvement despite the lopsided final score, but the Kittle storyline overshadowed any tactical critiques.

Fellow Iowa alum Connor Colby, a guard for the 49ers, also saw action — though his hold on the starting left guard spot remains unsettled, per Sports Illustrated, with the position still described as a "fluid situation" heading into the rest of the season.

Sam LaPorta Races the Clock in Detroit

While Kittle was making his comeback across the Pacific, another Iowa tight end was in a race of his own. Sam LaPorta had been sidelined since August 19 with a hip injury, leaving the Lions sweating his Week 1 availability. The encouraging news arrived September 8 when LaPorta returned to practice, and he was not listed as out on Detroit's first official injury report of the season.

LaPorta's situation carries extra weight given the contract conversation swirling around him. The Lions restructured deals for Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell to create cap flexibility — moves that multiple outlets tied directly to the team's interest in extending LaPorta. Green Bay's recent extension of Tucker Kraft has reportedly provided a market framework for what a LaPorta deal might look like, though cap constraints remain a sticking point.

More Hawkeyes Worth Watching

Elsewhere around the league, Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell was named a defensive co-captain for the Lions, drawing praise from edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson in a show of locker room endorsement for the second-year defender.

In Green Bay, running back Kaleb Johnson — the former Hawkeye third-round pick — was flagged as a top Week 1 fantasy sleeper, with analysts pointing to a potentially expanded role for the rookie in the Packers' backfield. Kristian Welch, another Iowa product on Green Bay's roster, was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of the team's season opener at Minnesota.

And in Los Angeles, Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson found himself in unwanted headlines, facing potential NFL discipline for a chop block infraction on top of a separate off-field legal matter — a rough start to the season for the Iowa offensive lineman.

The Hawkeyes have never been short on NFL representation. This week, it was Kittle who reminded everyone why Iowa tight ends are a different breed.

The Hawkeye pipeline into the NFL has never looked busier. From blockbuster trades to contract standoffs to a long-awaited return from a torn Achilles, Iowa alumni are shaping storylines on multiple rosters as the 2026 season kicks off.

Kaleb Johnson Lands in Green Bay

The biggest Iowa news of the week didn't come from a game — it came from a trade wire. The Green Bay Packers acquired second-year RB Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Johnson had been drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft after a standout career in Iowa City. The move is directly tied to Josh Jacobs landing on the Commissioner's Exempt list, leaving Green Bay's backfield suddenly thin.

According to Packers insider reporting from Matt Schneidman, Johnson is expected to step into a significant role immediately. Fantasy analysts at Bleacher Report have already flagged him as a potential steal of the season. Head coach Matt LaFleur has been characteristically blunt about expectations — new additions earn their snaps, full stop — but the opportunity in front of Johnson is real.

Nobody is more confident in the fit than Tim Lester, Iowa's current offensive coordinator and a former Packers assistant, who told Sports Illustrated that Johnson's tape speaks for itself. Johnson joins fellow Hawkeyes Lukas Van Ness, Luke Lachey, Nick Niemann, and Kristian Welch in Green Bay, making the Packers something of an Iowa satellite campus.

Lions Stalling on LaPorta and Branch Deals

In Detroit, two Iowa products are entering the final year of their rookie contracts with no extensions in sight — and the timeline is getting uncomfortable. TE Sam LaPorta and S Brian Branch are both cornerstones of the Lions' offense and defense, respectively, and both have earned raises. The problem, per Heavy Sports and Sports Illustrated, is that injury concerns are complicating Detroit's valuation of both players.

Lions GM Brad Holmes has dropped hints that the organization wants to retain both long-term, but he stopped well short of announcing imminent deals. The clock is ticking. LaPorta and Branch are exactly the kind of players other teams would happily absorb in free agency, and every week without a new contract is a week of leverage quietly shifting.

Kittle Making the Trip to Australia

George Kittle is coming back. The San Francisco 49ers confirmed that Kittle — recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the playoffs — will travel with the team to Melbourne, Australia, for the Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on September 10. GM John Lynch told reporters that Kittle is expected to play.

It's a remarkable recovery timeline, and the 49ers are understandably cautious about managing his workload early. Still, the mere fact that Kittle is suiting up for a game that matters is the kind of update that reshapes an entire offense's ceiling. Iowa fans will want to watch that one closely.

Moss Contract Situation Heating Up in Denver

Meanwhile, CB Riley Moss is generating urgency of a different kind in Denver. A new free-agent ranking cited by Sports Illustrated underscores just how exposed the Broncos are if they don't lock up Moss before he hits the open market. Denver drafted and developed him; another team cashing in on that investment would sting. The Broncos haven't moved yet, and that window won't stay open indefinitely.

Four distinct situations. Four different franchise stakes. Not bad for one week out of Iowa City.

Iowa's NFL alumni class generated more news this preseason week than most programs generate in a full month — and the headlines ranged from triumphant to brutal.

George Kittle: Back on the Field

The biggest story out of Iowa country: George Kittle was activated off the 49ers' Active/Physically Unable to Perform list, clearing the path for his return from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in January. The activation makes Kittle eligible to practice and puts a Week 1 return squarely in play — though San Francisco has been measured about committing to a hard timeline. Still, for a player who tore his Achilles less than eight months ago, getting off the PUP list before the preseason finale is a genuine milestone. Kittle remains one of the most important players on San Francisco's offense, and his availability could reshape the 49ers' ceiling in 2026.

Sam LaPorta: Hip Healed, Back at Practice

In Detroit, Sam LaPorta returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since suffering a hip injury — good news for a Lions offense that leans heavily on its tight end. LaPorta's return came as the Lions were dealing with a thin safety room, so getting their starting TE back healthy added some relief to an otherwise complicated injury picture. His timeline to full availability wasn't specified, but the fact that he's back on the field puts him on track for the regular season.

Seattle's Double Blow: Clark and Richman Both on IR

The Seahawks took two significant hits before the season even starts. Safety Bud Clark and offensive lineman Mason Richman — both former Hawkeyes — were placed on injured reserve after suffering injuries in Seattle's preseason game against the Titans. Head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed both players would miss extended time. For Richman, a tackle trying to carve out a roster spot, the timing is especially costly. The Seahawks subsequently made multiple roster moves ahead of their preseason finale against Kansas City.

Kaleb Johnson: Roster Bubble, Trade Rumors

Iowa's first-round pick in 2025 is already fighting for his NFL life. Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson has been flagged as one of the more notable names on the roster cut bubble, and the situation took an unusual twist when reports emerged that the Cincinnati Bengals — a division rival — have expressed interest in acquiring him via trade. An in-division trade of a recently drafted player would be rare, but Cincinnati is sorting out its running back depth and reportedly views Johnson as a potential fit. His status heading into final cuts bears watching.

Riley Moss: Rib Scare, But Nothing Serious

Broncos cornerback Riley Moss left Denver's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers early with a rib injury, briefly raising alarms. Broncos head coach Sean Payton moved quickly to tamp down concerns, calling the injury "nothing serious," and sources confirmed to Denver-area reporters that Moss's status is not considered worrying. A full recovery before Week 1 appears likely.

Also Noted

Falcons running back Tyler Goodson scored a rushing touchdown in Atlanta's 34–6 preseason win over the Colts, and Jets safety Dane Belton is locked in a starting safety competition with Andre Cisco — a battle worth monitoring as New York finalizes its 53-man roster.

For Hawkeye fans, it's been a whirlwind week. The best news is Kittle; the worst is Seattle losing two former Iowa players before Labor Day.