Michigan State Professional Athletes

Michigan State alumni are making noise across the NFL, and the headliner isn't hard to find: Kenneth Walker III is playing like the best player in football right now.

The Walker Show

The former Spartan running back posted 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs' 30-27 win over the Raiders on Sunday, pushing his season total to a league-leading 537 rushing yards through four games. That's not just a hot start — it's historically rare. Walker has been predicted to accomplish a feat not seen in 14 years, and after CBS Sports unseated Josh Allen to place him atop its NFL MVP rankings this week, the conversation around Walker is no longer hyperbole.

Walker also leads the league in total yards from scrimmage (621) on 99 touches and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September. He has also set a Chiefs franchise rushing record with his four-game haul. Dez Bryant publicly declared that the Seahawks — who let Walker walk in free agency this past offseason — effectively "gave" Kansas City the Super Bowl. ESPN backed that sentiment up with a ranking that put Walker above Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a pointed comparison for Seattle fans still processing the loss.

The Chiefs are 4-0. Walker is the engine.

Cousins and the Raiders' Surprise Run

While Walker dominated at Arrowhead, fellow Spartan Kirk Cousins was doing something no one expected on the other sideline. The Raiders fell 30-27, but Cousins threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns — and Las Vegas remains one of the more credible surprise stories of the early season. An anonymous NFL general manager weighed in this week with a bold prediction about Cousins and the Raiders being legitimate contenders, a reflection of how seriously the league is taking Las Vegas's hot start.

Cousins faces a tough test in the coming week against the Patriots, with analysts noting particular challenges that matchup presents. But the broader point stands: no one projected the Raiders to be in this conversation after four weeks, and Cousins is a central reason why.

The Other Spartans in Silver and Black

The Raiders storyline doesn't end with Cousins. Undrafted wide receiver Cody White — a Michigan State product who entered 2026 on the practice squad — has quietly become one of the team's most effective weapons. White has hauled in three touchdowns on just five catches through four games, earning praise from the Raiders' front office. His trajectory from practice squad afterthought to red-zone threat is one of the more compelling under-the-radar stories of the young season.

Fullback Connor Heyward also saw action in Sunday's Chiefs-Raiders game, logging a reception for nine yards.

Around the League

Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed is sidelined for the season, a significant blow for Green Bay's passing game. The Packers are reportedly exploring trade options to replace his production, with reports linking them to Jacksonville's Brian Thomas Jr. and Tennessee's Calvin Ridley.

Cowboys cornerback Ameer Speed, another Spartan, is drawing attention in Dallas. Despite a Cowboys secondary that has struggled overall, Sports Illustrated flagged Speed as a potential hidden gem lifted from the UFL — a player who is quietly outperforming his roster standing.

Four games in, the Spartans are well-represented. But make no mistake — Walker III is the story, and right now, he may be the story of the entire league.

Michigan State's NFL alumni had a week that captured the full emotional range of the sport — a season-ending blow in Green Bay, a monthly award in Kansas City, and a resurgent quarterback forcing the league to take notice in Las Vegas.

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Reed's Season Is Over Before It Really Started

The most sobering story out of Spartan Nation this week: Jayden Reed is done for 2026. The Packers' top receiver was carted off the field during Green Bay's Week 2 road win over the New York Jets with a neck injury and will undergo surgery, ending his season before September was out. Head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed the procedure but stressed that the injury is not believed to be career-threatening — a crucial distinction given how frightening the moment looked in real time.

Green Bay placed Reed on injured reserve and is now scrambling to fill the void. The Packers have floated a replacement plan, and free-agent veteran Tyreek Hill added intrigue by publicly angling for a "cold weather" landing spot within hours of the Reed announcement. Jordan Love called his receiver "1 of 1" — less about football production, more about genuine concern for a teammate.

For Reed, who had emerged as one of the more dynamic slot receivers in the NFC, the timing is brutal. For Spartan fans, it's a long wait until 2027.

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Walker III Wins September, Then Calls Out His Ex

While Reed's season ended, Kenneth Walker III's is catching fire — literally award-winning. The Chiefs' running back took home NFL September Player of the Month honors after a scorching start in Kansas City following his offseason arrival from Seattle. Walker capped the month in style against Miami on Sunday, rushing for 70 yards and a score while adding two catches and another receiving touchdown in a 24–10 Chiefs win.

Walker didn't keep quiet about the journey, either. The former Seahawk issued a pointed message to Seattle after his huge opening month — a reminder of what the franchise let walk. Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who'll face Walker in the Week 4 AFC West showdown, called the Chiefs' new back a legitimate concern. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is already game-planning around him from the other side of that same rivalry.

Walker also drew a minor footnote: he was fined $8K in Week 1 for launching a touchdown ball into the stands after celebrating a score against the Denver Broncos. Apparently the new Chief came in with personality attached.

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Cousins Forces the Skeptics to Pay Attention

Kirk Cousins is doing what many in Las Vegas didn't dare predict — playing well enough to make his job security a non-story. The Raiders' QB threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns in a 35–27 win over the Saints on Sunday, with MSU teammate Cody White hauling in a receiving score and Jalen Nailor adding a catch in the same game. Cousins has drawn genuine praise from Spagnuolo, who called the veteran signal-caller someone who's "earned a tremendous amount of respect."

Stephen A. Smith remains unconvinced, ripping the Raiders and Cousins despite the strong start. But with an insider suggesting backup Fernando Mendoza is unlikely to see the field while Cousins is playing this way, East Lansing's most famous quarterback appears firmly in command of the desert.

Three MSU alumni sharing a sideline in Las Vegas — Cousins, White, and Nailor — makes the Raiders something of an unofficial Spartan outpost this season.

Michigan State's NFL alumni delivered one of their most eventful weeks of the young season — a league-leading rusher, a frightening injury, a surprise practice-squad hero, and a veteran quarterback making Las Vegas believers out of the desert.

Kenneth Walker III Is the NFL's Best Running Back Right Now

Before Thursday's Week 3 games even kicked off, Kenneth Walker III had already staked his claim. The former Spartan entered the week leading the NFL in rushing yards with 290, and he backed it up Sunday with 117 yards on the ground and 61 more through the air against the Colts in a 33–30 Kansas City win. His 56 touches, 369 total yards, and two touchdowns through two-plus weeks have made him the centerpiece of a Chiefs offense that has genuinely reinvented itself around the run for the first time in the Mahomes era.

The noise around his workload is growing, though. Chiefs brass has hinted the usage may be dialed back, and analysts have called the current approach "unsustainable." Walker, for his part, has shut down the speculation — publicly, at least. Whether Kansas City heeds those warnings or keeps feeding their new workhorse will be one of the season's more compelling subplots.

Jayden Reed's Terrifying Exit in New York

The week's darkest moment came in East Rutherford. Jayden Reed caught a short pass from Jordan Love on Green Bay's opening drive against the Jets and absorbed a high hit that sent him to the cart and ultimately out of the game with a neck injury. He finished with one catch for four yards — a brutal, abrupt end to his afternoon.

Reed was ruled out for the rest of the Jets game and, with Green Bay's injury report confirming he'd miss Thursday's matchup against the Falcons as well, the Packers are now scrambling to fill the void left by their premier slot receiver. Green Bay lost two starters on its very first offensive series — right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele also went down with a torn patellar tendon — making it a nightmarish start to a week the franchise will want to forget quickly.

Cody White Steals the Show in Las Vegas

While Reed's week ended in the first quarter, Cody White's was just beginning. Called up from the Raiders' practice squad just one day before kickoff, White made the most of his moment against the Chargers — hauling in two catches for 24 yards and two touchdowns in Las Vegas's 26–14 win. He told reporters afterward that the call-up was a surprise, but the performance wasn't — he'd been preparing for exactly this.

Cousins Keeps Rolling, Raiders Keep Winning

Kirk Cousins isn't just a story — he's starting to look like a legitimate one. The veteran quarterback threw for 253 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in Sunday's win over the Chargers, pushing Las Vegas to what was already a 2–0 record entering the week. Cousins has been drawing "heavy early praise" from around the league, and his viral post-game celebration after the win only added to the good vibes in the desert. Insiders are fielding trade speculation centered on other teams potentially targeting him before the deadline — a sign of just how well this is going.

Jalen Nailor and Connor Heyward also suited up for Las Vegas, though both played complementary roles in the victory.

Four Spartans. Four very different stories. Week 3 delivered.

Michigan State's NFL alumni had one of their finest weeks in recent memory, with two former Spartans making headlines on opposite ends of the country — and delivering moments that went well beyond the box score.

Kenneth Walker III: Born-Again Chief

The big story belonged to Kenneth Walker III, and it wasn't close. In his first game as a Kansas City Chief — a 31-10 dismantling of the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football — the former Spartan back turned in one of the most memorable debut performances the Chiefs franchise has seen in years.

Walker finished with 173 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 23 carries, adding three catches for 18 yards and a receiving score — 191 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in total. Kansas City never trailed and closed the game on a 24-3 run, with Walker as the engine.

The performance earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, a Topps NOW card, and the immediate adoration of a fan base still learning his name. Walker, who arrived in Kansas City after winning Super Bowl MVP honors with the Seattle Seahawks, credited the Chiefs' offensive line and Patrick Mahomes for opening things up — but it was the running back who did the damage.

It didn't come entirely without cost. Walker was fined $8,000 by the NFL for throwing the ball into the stands after one of his touchdowns — a price he almost certainly paid with a smile.

For Seahawks fans watching from afar, the debut landed differently. Seattle declined to re-sign Walker in free agency, and his first game in Kansas City immediately sparked questions about whether the franchise had made a costly mistake.

Kirk Cousins: History in the Desert

The other Spartan storyline played out in Las Vegas, where Kirk Cousins made his Raiders debut in a 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins. The surface numbers were mixed — 160 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions — but buried inside the stat sheet was a milestone: Cousins passed an NFL legend in a prestigious all-time statistical category, adding another line to a career that has quietly built one of the sport's more underrated resumes.

The Raiders got the win, but analysts were quick to note that Cousins will need to clean up his decision-making if Las Vegas is going to make a run. With tight end Brock Bowers listed as doubtful for Week 2, the margin for error narrows further. Fellow Spartan and Raiders wideout Jalen Nailor chipped in three catches for 27 yards in the victory.

The Rest of the Spartan Roll Call

Elsewhere around the league, Jayden Reed caught three passes for 20 yards in Green Bay's 39-22 loss to Minnesota — a quiet afternoon for the Packers receiver in what was a rough day for the offense overall. Bryce Baringer remained sidelined for New England, with the Patriots elevating a veteran replacement punter ahead of their Week 2 home opener against Pittsburgh.

Week 1 belonged to Walker. But for Michigan State alumni watching across the league, it was a week that delivered noise on multiple fronts — and a reminder that East Lansing sends players to Sundays who know how to make an entrance.