Missouri Professional Athletes

Josiah Trotter didn't ease into the NFL. The Missouri linebacker announced himself with one of the most remarkable debut performances in league history, and Baker Mayfield is already drawing comparisons to last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Trotter Rewrites the Record Books

In Tampa Bay's Week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals — a 33-27 defeat — Trotter did something no rookie has ever done in NFL history: record a sack and a pick-six in the same game. He finished with 10 tackles alongside those two signature plays, becoming the first player in Buccaneers franchise history to accomplish the feat in any game, let alone a debut.

The historical footnote is striking on its own. That it came from a first-year player, in his very first regular-season appearance, elevates it further. Defensive rookies typically take weeks — sometimes months — to find their footing in the NFL. Trotter skipped that adjustment period entirely.

Mayfield's reaction after reviewing film told its own story. The Buccaneers quarterback said he saw flashes of former Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger while watching tape of Tampa Bay's Week 2 opponent — and that Trotter's football intelligence is what stood out most. "What a smart player he is, for a rookie," Mayfield said. That kind of endorsement from the team's offensive leader, unprompted, carries weight.

The loss stings for Tampa Bay, but Trotter's emergence offers a genuine reason for optimism on the defensive side of the ball. The Mizzou product looks like a foundational piece.

Drew Lock Steps Into the Spotlight

Across the NFC West, another Missouri alum is navigating a high-stakes moment. Drew Lock finds himself as Seattle's starting quarterback after Sam Darnold was ruled out with an injury sustained in Week 1. Lock stepped in during that opener and helped lead the Seahawks to a victory over the New England Patriots, and now faces the Arizona Cardinals in a divisional road game on Sept. 20.

The pressure is real. Lock has made 28 starts across eight NFL seasons with Denver, the Giants, and Seattle, and the general consensus around the league is that this stretch of starts doubles as an extended audition for quarterback-needy teams. Seahawks teammates and wide receiver Cooper Kupp have publicly expressed confidence in Lock, while Darnold has remained heavily involved in preparation despite his injury, with Lock saying he's been "leaning on him pretty heavy" heading into the Cardinals game.

Whether Lock can sustain his performance beyond a favorable opener remains the central question.

Luther Burden III Keeps Rolling

In Chicago, wide receiver Luther Burden III had a productive afternoon in the Bears' blowout 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers — catching 5 passes for 63 yards and adding 2 rushing yards. With Chicago's offense clicking at a high level in Week 1, the former Missouri standout is carving out a real role in a crowded receiving corps.

Three Missouri alumni, three different storylines — but the week unquestionably belonged to Trotter. History tends to have that effect.

Drew Lock's Moment

Missouri fans had to watch through their fingers early in Wednesday's NFL opener: Sam Darnold, Seattle's new starter, went down with a hip injury after just one drive against the Patriots, and the Seahawks' season suddenly rested on the shoulders of a former Tiger.

Drew Lock answered.

The Columbia product went 16-for-22 for 187 yards, added 13 rushing yards, and threw a touchdown — finishing with a 113.3 passer rating — as Seattle rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat New England 13-10 at Lumen Field. It was a vintage backup performance: composed, efficient, and clutch when it counted. Lock led two late scoring drives while the Seahawks' defense did the rest, picking off Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter.

The praise came fast. Teammate Julian Love called Lock the best QB2 in the NFL after the game. Multiple statistical leaderboards backed that up. Head coach Mike Macdonald made no effort to walk back the compliments.

As for Darnold — early reports ruled out IR for his hip strain, meaning Lock's window as the starter may be short. But for at least one week, he was unambiguously the best quarterback on the field Wednesday night. Mizzou's record at starting QB in NFL openers: 1-0.

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Harrison Mevis, Folk Hero

If Lock is the headliner this week, Harrison Mevis is quietly building something more durable: a cult following.

The Rams' placekicker — who handled kicking duties in Los Angeles' opener against San Francisco — has become what the NFL occasionally produces and always loves: an unlikely personality with an outsize presence. Mevis, known league-wide as "The Thiccer Kicker," carries a build that doesn't fit the prototype for his position, and he has leaned into it with zero apology.

The Mizzou product's profile has grown well beyond his leg. He's become a fan favorite in Los Angeles and a social media fixture, a reminder that the NFL's most endearing figures aren't always the ones under center. The stats from Week 1 aren't yet fully detailed, but the narrative around Mevis — a former college standout who carved out an NFL roster spot and a nickname that's printed on jerseys — is its own kind of win.

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The Bigger Picture

Two Mizzou alumni, two very different stories, one shared thread: both Lock and Mevis earned their spots the hard way, as backups and specialists navigating a league that chews through players without sentiment.

Lock has bounced from Denver to now Seattle, making the most of every unexpected start. Mevis built his way from Columbia to the Rams' depth chart with leg strength and, apparently, a personality that resonates far beyond special teams.

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season belonged, in small but real ways, to the Tigers.

Cut-Down Day Hits Missouri Hard in Denver and New England

The NFL's final roster cut deadline delivered a rough week for Missouri alumni, with three Tigers losing roster spots — two in Denver and one in New England before the season even begins.

The Broncos Cut Two Tigers at Running Back

The most notable storyline out of Denver centered on a position battle that Missouri alumni had on both sides. The Broncos waived running back Cody Schrader as part of their final cuts, ending his bid to make the 53-man roster. At the same time, Denver cut Jaleel McLaughlin — a former undrafted free agent who had carved out a meaningful role in the Broncos' offense in previous seasons.

Broncos GM George Paton addressed the McLaughlin decision directly, explaining that the team chose Tyler Badie — himself a fellow Mizzou product — over McLaughlin at the running back position. Paton acknowledged McLaughlin's contributions but indicated the roster math simply didn't work in his favor. McLaughlin's release is particularly notable given his trajectory: he made the team as a rookie off an impressive preseason and became a legitimate contributor before falling victim to a numbers game.

Badie's survival, however, keeps at least one Tiger in the Denver backfield heading into the regular season — a small silver lining for Missouri faithful following the Broncos closely.

The Broncos also waived defensive tackle Kristian Williams, adding a fourth Missouri alumni cut from the same roster in the same week.

Bryant Opens the Year on IR in New England

In Foxboro, offensive tackle Marcus Bryant won't see the field to start the 2026 season. The Patriots placed Bryant on injured reserve, meaning he'll miss at least the early portion of the year. NFL clubs are permitted to designate two players to return from IR at the midseason deadline, so Bryant's season isn't necessarily over — but it's a significant setback for a player looking to establish himself in New England's offensive line rotation.

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The week serves as a reminder of just how volatile the NFL's roster calendar can be. Missouri has built genuine depth across the league — the Tigers have alumni on rosters from Kansas City to Detroit to Philadelphia — but cut-down day is indiscriminate. For Schrader, McLaughlin, and Williams in Denver, the next step is the waiver wire, where a team in need could provide a lifeline. Bryant, meanwhile, will wait and watch as New England's season unfolds around him.

Three Missouri alumni headlined NFL preseason activity this week, with storylines ranging from a promising return to a painful setback to a last-chance audition for a roster spot.

Burden Back in Chicago

Luther Burden III gave Bears fans a reason to exhale as the second-year wide receiver returned to practice during Chicago's final training camp session of 2026. His return came as the Bears wrapped up camp with roughly an hour of work, with two starters coming back healthy — Burden among them. After a draft pedigree that put the St. Louis native squarely in the spotlight, staying healthy through the final cuts stretch is exactly the kind of news a young receiver needs. The Bears' preseason window is nearly closed; Burden's return keeps his momentum intact heading into roster decisions.

Bryant's Ankle Clouds Patriots' O-Line Depth

The news was far grimmer in New England. Marcus Bryant, who had established himself as a top backup offensive tackle for the Patriots this summer, was carted off during Saturday night's preseason game against the Eagles after suffering an ankle injury on just the fourth official play from scrimmage. Bryant's absence is a real depth hit for a Patriots offensive line that was already navigating personnel questions. His injury compounds an already difficult week for New England's O-line, with the team losing another lineman to injury in the same contest. Whether Bryant's timeline threatens his roster standing — or simply his availability for Week 1 — remains to be seen.

Schrader Auditioning for His Broncos Life

In Denver, Cody Schrader's preseason finale became a make-or-break moment. Head Coach Sean Payton set the tone postgame by invoking The Voice — yes, the singing competition — as a metaphor for bubble players: "Hey, make us spin the chair." Schrader, fighting for a running back spot behind Denver's established depth, used the preseason closer as his platform. The undrafted-free-agent type who grinds for every snap, Schrader has the kind of profile that lives and dies in moments like these. Whether Payton's coaching staff was moved enough to keep him on the 53-man roster is the question Schrader is now waiting to answer alongside fellow Mizzou alums Kris Abrams-Draine and Kristian Williams, who are also in Denver's camp.

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The week underscored just how broadly Missouri's NFL footprint has grown — and how different the stakes are at each stop. Burden is building; Bryant is recovering; Schrader is hoping. That's the preseason in three acts, Missouri edition.