Mississippi Professional Athletes

Ole Miss Alumni Reshaping NFL Rosters This Preseason

Mississippi's footprint across the NFL is impossible to ignore this preseason, with Rebels alumni making headlines from Pittsburgh to Dallas to Carolina.

DK Metcalf Hands the Steelers a Financial Lifeline

The biggest Ole Miss story of the week isn't on the field — it's in the accounting department. DK Metcalf restructured his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, freeing up $18 million in cap space and effectively quintupling what had been the league's slimmest salary cushion. Pittsburgh was dead last in available cap space entering 2026, and Metcalf's willingness to restructure has already paid dividends: the move gives the front office real ammunition in contract negotiations with cornerback Joey Porter Jr., whose extension talks had stalled in part due to the cap crunch. Metcalf, now a cornerstone of the Steelers' offense, didn't just help himself — he gave Pittsburgh's roster-building operation a genuine reset heading into the regular season.

Jonathan Mingo Earns His Cowboys Spot

Less glamorous, perhaps, but no less meaningful: Jonathan Mingo has cracked the Dallas Cowboys' 53-man roster. The second-year wideout out of Ole Miss survived final cuts, a significant milestone for a young receiver trying to establish himself in one of the league's most scrutinized organizations. In a Cowboys receiver room with no shortage of competition, Mingo's retention signals he's done enough in camp to earn trust from the coaching staff. It's early, but a roster spot in Dallas is a roster spot.

Princely Umanmielen: Carolina's Edge Rusher to Watch

Over in Charlotte, second-year edge rusher Princely Umanmielen is generating buzz with the Panthers heading into what could be a defining year for the former Rebel. Reports out of Carolina paint a picture of a player who has matured physically and mentally from his rookie campaign, and the Panthers — a team in the middle of an aggressive rebuild — need Umanmielen to develop into a legitimate pass-rush threat. The expectation is mutual: he's ready, and Carolina needs him to be. If Umanmielen delivers, he could become one of the more quietly important breakout stories of the 2026 season.

Around the League

Elsewhere in the Rebels' wide NFL diaspora, Laremy Tunsil's preseason has taken an unfortunate turn — the veteran left tackle underwent surgery to repair a torn triceps, prompting the Washington Commanders to sign former Pro Bowl LT D.J. Humphries to fill the void. Tunsil's timeline is unclear, but the injury is a significant blow for a Washington offensive line banking on his experience.

In New York, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart continues to develop under the Giants' staff, with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy emphasizing the importance of letting the Ole Miss product play his own game rather than forcing him into a mold. Giants brass debated whether to play starters against the Jets in the preseason, with Dart and the first-team offense seen as candidates to benefit from live reps. The calculus: the more game experience Dart gets now, the better positioned he'll be if called upon in 2026.

Ole Miss in the NFL | Week of Aug. 16–22, 2026

The most compelling subplot of the NFL preseason week belonged to an Ole Miss alum — and it played out not in a stadium, but on a joint practice field in New England.

Brown Sends a Message, Then Buries the Hatchet

A.J. Brown's trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots was messy. His relationship with former quarterback Jalen Hurts had grown strained, and Brown admitted he hadn't spoken to Hurts since the blockbuster deal went down. Then the two teams lined up across from each other in joint practices — and Brown made sure nobody forgot what Philly gave up.

The Ole Miss product dominated Day 1 of the joint sessions, turning heads on both sidelines and making it clear he arrived in New England in peak form. Eagles All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who knows Brown's game as well as anyone, offered the most stinging endorsement for Philadelphia fans: Brown looks "a little better. A little faster," Mitchell said, per Boston.com. That quote alone should raise alarm bells in Philly, where ESPN's receiver room rankings in Brown's absence are already drawing concern.

Head coach Mike Vrabel had praised Brown's maturity going into the week, and the wideout delivered. His chemistry with young quarterback Drake Maye looked sharp and natural — a pointed contrast to the fractured dynamic that reportedly defined his final months with Hurts.

Day 2 was more complicated. Brown committed a costly miscue in the red zone, a reminder that preseason reps are still reps, and the Eagles' defense — well-acquainted with his tendencies — pushed back. But the week's defining image wasn't a highlight or a blunder. It was a sideline embrace.

One day after Brown publicly revealed he and Hurts hadn't talked since the trade, the two finally reconnected at practice — a moment captured on video and disseminated across every major outlet within minutes. Vrabel had flagged the emotional weight of the reunion beforehand, noting that facing former teammates never comes without feeling. By week's end, per multiple reports, any outstanding beef between Brown and Hurts appeared squashed.

The Eagles, meanwhile, are left reshuffling. With Brown gone, targets will redistribute to DeVonta Smith, second-year receiver Makai Lemon, and fellow Rebel Elijah Moore, who remains on Philadelphia's roster. How that group performs will define whether the trade looks like a salary-cap masterstroke or a catastrophic roster miscalculation.

Elsewhere in the Rebel Nation

Jaxson Dart (Giants, QB) had a rougher week in New York. The Ole Miss alum took a big hit in the Giants' preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings and briefly entered the blue medical tent, triggering a public back-and-forth between Dart and the NFL over concussion protocol handling. The league denied any preferential treatment. Giants OC Mike Kafka maintained confidence in Dart's development, publicly discussing his "next level" even as the team asked him to be more careful as a scrambler under first-year head coach John Harbaugh. Separately, New York's signing of Najee Harris drew scrutiny as analysts argued it telegraphs offensive predictability around the young quarterback.

DK Metcalf (Steelers, WR) drew a brief injury scare but is expected to play in Pittsburgh's Week 1 opener against the Falcons, per Bleacher Report.

Otis Reese IV (Bills, ILB) was re-signed by Buffalo, keeping the Ole Miss defender on the roster as the Bills trim toward their 53-man cutdown.

The week was Brown's, start to finish — and if these joint practices are any preview of what New England is getting, the Patriots may have landed the steal of the offseason.

Mississippi's NFL alumni had a preseason to forget this week — and not because of bad play. Two of the most prominent Rebels in professional football are suddenly dealing with injury clouds, and the outlook for at least one of them is grim.

Tunsil's Torn Triceps: A Crushing Blow for Washington

Laremy Tunsil, the NFL's highest-paid offensive lineman and a cornerstone of the Washington Commanders' offense, suffered a torn triceps during a training camp practice Saturday. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed Monday that Tunsil will undergo surgery, with a full timeline to be determined after the procedure. The word "indefinitely" is already being used — a brutal development for a team leaning on its offensive line to protect a young quarterback entering a pivotal season.

The Commanders are now scrambling to fill the void at left tackle. Per reports, candidates include Brandon Coleman, Josh Conerly, Andrew Wylie, Nicholas Petit-Frere, and potentially a veteran free agent. None of those names inspire the same confidence as a Pro Bowl anchor. CBS Sports flagged the Tunsil injury as a real story — not an overreaction — to emerge from the first week of camp.

Tunsil, a first-round pick in 2016 out of Ole Miss, has established himself as one of the premier pass protectors in the league. Losing him for any significant stretch doesn't just hurt Washington — it raises genuine questions about whether their offensive unit can hold together without him.

Dart Takes a Shot, Then Takes Umbrage at the Protocol

Jaxson Dart had a more complicated week. The second-year Giants quarterback made the trip to the NFL's blue medical tent after absorbing a massive hit in the first quarter of New York's 13-10 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday — but he came back out and threw a touchdown pass on a scrambling, off-balance connection with rookie Malachi Fields.

That resilience didn't stop Dart from voicing his frustration postgame. He told reporters he was "puzzled" by the NFL's concussion evaluation protocol, saying he felt fine and was irritated by the interruption. Head coach John Harbaugh, meanwhile, pointed the finger elsewhere — calling out the blocking breakdown that left Dart exposed to the hit in the first place, saying the Giants "need to block better."

The hit generated significant fan concern and wide social media attention, though Dart ultimately logged a composed performance in limited action: four attempts, one touchdown. A practice report from August 10 also noted Dart suffered a minor injury during training camp earlier in the week, adding another layer of concern heading into the preseason.

There's a broader storyline forming in New York: Dart and Harbaugh are attempting something of a franchise reset — a Patriots-style rebuild built around a young quarterback and a proven coach. Brian Burns and the Giants' defense have praised Dart's improvement, and Harbaugh's staff even applauded him earlier in camp for finally sliding instead of taking unnecessary contact. The irony that he absorbed one of the week's most alarming hits anyway wasn't lost on anyone.

A Third Rebel Down in New England

The injury news wasn't limited to Tunsil and Dart. Patriots center Ben Brown — another Ole Miss product — is also sidelined, with head coach Mayo offering a characteristically vague timeline: "Four-to-six, eight, 10, 12. Even numbers." New England signed two offensive linemen in response. It's a minor roster move in the grand scheme, but another data point in a rough week for Ole Miss's NFL footprint.

Three alumni, three injury situations. The Rebels' NFL week was defined not by highlight plays, but by the injury report.

Jaxson Dart Is the Most Interesting Quarterback in Training Camp Right Now

Ole Miss doesn't typically produce franchise quarterbacks. Jaxson Dart is making a case to change that — and doing it with the kind of edge that makes coaches both excited and nervous.

The Giants rookie ignited the talk of the preseason when, after scoring a rushing touchdown in a red-zone drill at The Greenbrier, he fired the ball directly at cornerback Greg Newsome II's helmet. Head coach Jim Harbaugh stepped in immediately, delivering a public lesson on competitive discipline — the kind of moment that reveals as much about a coach's standards as it does about a player's wiring. Per The Sporting News, Harbaugh won't want to see that loss of composure repeated.

But here's the thing: the fire is part of the package, and the NFL is paying attention. Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd has argued that Dart's "wow" moments — the improvised plays, the scrambling instincts, the heat — are exactly the upside Harbaugh can channel into something dangerous for the rest of the NFC. Dart himself is fully bought in on his new head coach. "We're all buying in because of how great a coach he is," the former Rebel told reporters, per Yahoo Sports.

When Dart stumbled with early interceptions in one practice session, the follow-up response was telling: Yahoo Sports described his next outing as "impressive," the mark of a quarterback who processes and bounces back fast. That trait — more than any single highlight — is what Giants fans should be watching.

A.J. Brown Finds His Heaven in New England

Meanwhile, the Ole Miss receiver who spent years terrorizing secondaries in Philadelphia has a new address. A.J. Brown was traded from the Eagles to the New England Patriots this offseason, and he appears to be thriving alongside young quarterback Drake Maye. Brown posted a photo with Maye on social media set to a song called "Heaven," which is either a very good sign for Patriots fans or the best PR a receiver has ever done for his new franchise. Per Bleacher Report, Brown seems genuinely energized by the fresh start.

Tunsil Health Scare in Washington

Less encouraging news out of the nation's capital: Laremy Tunsil, the veteran left tackle now with the Commanders, left Saturday's practice and was set to be evaluated, per Yahoo Sports. No timeline or diagnosis was reported, but any health concern around a blindside protector of Tunsil's caliber is worth monitoring closely as Washington prepares for the season.

Elijah Moore Keeps Grinding in Philly

Also in Eagles camp, Elijah Moore — who has bounced between rosters since leaving Ole Miss — is embracing the opportunity in Philadelphia with characteristic resilience. Yahoo Sports profiled Moore's winding NFL journey this week, and the former second-round pick made clear he wouldn't trade the experience. He's competing for a roster spot and using every rep.

Around the League

Commanders CB Trey Amos was activated off the PUP list, a positive development for Washington's secondary. Raiders DT JJ Pegues, a 2025 draft pick, is entering Year 2 with elevated expectations after flashing pass-rush ability — he recorded a sack in Sunday's practice. And Broncos DT D.J. Jones made waves with a bold prediction that Denver's defense can break the NFL single-season sack record of 72. "We can break it," Jones said flatly, per Yahoo Sports.

It's a busy August for the Rebel Nation across the league.