Nevada Professional Athletes

After a scoreless Week 1 debut that invited every "bust" take imaginable, Nevada alum Romeo Doubs gave his doubters a very short memory in New England's Week 2 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Doubs hauled in three catches for 96 yards as the Patriots cruised to a 20-3 win — a performance that quickly flipped the narrative on the wide receiver the Patriots signed to a $68 million deal this offseason. Just days before the game, Bleacher Report had named Doubs the Patriots player with the "most to prove" in Week 2, citing a forgettable debut in which he failed to secure any of his three targets in a 13-10 Week 1 loss.

He proved it.

Vrabel and McDaniels Both Take Notice

Head coach Mike Vrabel was quick to commend Doubs publicly after the Steelers win, speaking directly to the criticism the receiver had absorbed following his rocky start. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels piled on the praise four days later, ahead of New England's upcoming game against Jacksonville, singling out Doubs and veteran Mack Hollins as the veteran receivers stepping up in the wake of A.J. Brown's high ankle sprain.

For a receiver under this much scrutiny this early in his Patriots tenure, back-to-back endorsements from the head coach and OC represent about as clean a reset as possible.

The Boutte Argument, Settled?

The performance also reignited a front-office debate that had simmered since the preseason. Sports Illustrated argued post-game that Doubs' outing validated New England's decision to trade away Kayshon Boutte — a move that left some observers questioning the Patriots' depth at wideout. With Doubs delivering when the target share suddenly expanded due to Brown's injury, the organizational bet looks considerably smarter.

What's Next

Doubs now enters Week 3 against the Jaguars as a legitimate focal point of New England's passing attack, at least until Brown returns. Drake Maye's ability to stretch the field runs through receivers willing to win contested situations, and Doubs — a Nevada product who put up big numbers in college before a fitful start to his pro career in Green Bay — has always flashed that potential.

One game doesn't erase the noise entirely. But 96 yards on three catches in a 17-point win does a lot of the heavy lifting.

No other Nevada alumni posted statistically notable performances across the league during the Sept. 20–26 window.

Two Nevada alumni found themselves in the wrong kind of spotlight to open the 2026 NFL season — one dealing with a quiet debut, the other heading to injured reserve before Week 2 even kicks off.

Romeo Doubs: Zero Catches, Zero Panic (For Now)

Romeo Doubs arrived in New England this offseason as one of the Patriots' most notable free-agent additions, inheriting Rob Gronkowski's iconic No. 87 jersey — without Gronkowski even being consulted. The legendary tight end said he's fine with it ("I wasn't consulted at all, but I'm cool with it"), but the story Doubs actually needs to write is on the field.

That story didn't start well. In New England's season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks — a 13-10 defeat in what was billed as a Super Bowl rematch — Doubs finished without a single catch and made what sources described as multiple costly mistakes. It was, by any measure, a rough debut.

Head coach Mike Vrabel didn't bury his new wideout, but he wasn't handing out participation trophies either. "Everybody drops a pass, everybody misses a tackle," Vrabel said. "You talk to him the same way you always talk to him. Figure out a way to make a play to help us win." That's coachspeak for: the leash exists, now go prove it doesn't matter.

Doubs, for his part, says he's ready to move forward. The Patriots' offense was broadly shaky in Week 1 — Drake Maye threw three interceptions, and A.J. Brown left with an ankle sprain — so context matters. But as an offseason addition counted on to contribute immediately, Doubs has a clear mandate heading into Week 2: produce, or the noise around his debut will only get louder.

Kitan Crawford: Season in Jeopardy

The situation is more serious for Kitan Crawford. The Cardinals safety exited Arizona's Week 1 win over the Chargers with an ankle injury and was subsequently placed on injured reserve, ruling him out for at least the next four weeks. The Cardinals moved quickly to address the loss, signing safety Jerrick Reed II — formerly of the Seahawks — to their practice squad, and elevating Kalen King from that same unit.

Crawford had been one of Arizona's young contributors in the defensive backfield. Losing him compounds an already thin safety situation for the Cardinals: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson also did not play in Week 1, leaving the team scrambling for depth at the position. The IR designation means Crawford's 2026 season — at least its early chapters — will be written from the sideline.

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Two Wolf Pack alums, two very different problems — but both facing the same Week 2 pressure to either reclaim relevance or risk fading from the conversation entirely. For Doubs, the opportunity is still there. For Crawford, the wait begins.

Nevada Wolf Pack alumni have made it to NFL rosters across the league, but the spotlight this week belongs entirely — and painfully — to Romeo Doubs. The former Wolf Pack wideout's much-anticipated New England debut was nothing short of a disaster.

Doubs, who signed a $68 million deal with the Patriots after leaving Green Bay, finished the team's season-opening 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks without a single catch on three targets. The evening's defining moment came in the fourth quarter, when Doubs dropped a catchable pass that could have altered the game's outcome. A targeting miscommunication also led to an interception on a play where Doubs was the intended receiver — a sequence that film analysis traced to a coverage breakdown compounded by the timing between him and quarterback Drake Maye.

After the game, Doubs didn't hide from it. Standing at his locker, he took full ownership. "I just wasn't locked in enough. That's all. I mean, the video speaks for itself," he told reporters — the kind of accountability coaches appreciate, even if it doesn't erase a rough tape.

The degree of difficulty of this moment isn't lost on context: Doubs was brought in to elevate a Patriots receiving corps that now features A.J. Brown, raising expectations considerably. Week 1 was supposed to be a statement. Instead, it became a lowlight reel.

From a rival's perspective, the Washington Commanders — who reportedly pursued Doubs before missing out and landing Stefon Diggs — are quietly exhaling. The $68 million price tag looks a lot steeper after a scoreless debut in a losing effort.

Doubs vowed to be better, and the sample size is still just one game. But for a receiver signed to be a go-to option, there's no sugarcoating the start.

Elsewhere in the Pack

Joel Bitonio, Nevada's longtime offensive line stalwart, is now officially retired — but still making noise in Cleveland. The Browns legend weighed in publicly on what quarterback Shedeur Sanders needs to fix as Cleveland continues his development. Bitonio's voice carries weight in that locker room, even from the outside looking in.

Cole Turner, the tight end now with the Miami Dolphins, is dealing with an injury situation in South Florida as Miami heads into Week 1 with depth concerns at the position. Turner opened the week on the injury report alongside fellow tight end Ben Sims.

The Pack's NFL footprint remains broad — from Daiyan Henley and Emany Johnson in Los Angeles to Nephi Sewell and J Jackson in Chicago — but Week 1's defining Nevada story is Doubs, for all the wrong reasons. There's plenty of season left for the narrative to shift, but right now, the pressure of that $68 million deal just got very real.