Northwestern Professional Athletes

Northwestern's Week: A Tale of Two Wildcats

The same week that one Northwestern alum's season slipped into serious jeopardy, another was busy proving he belongs among the NFL's best cornerbacks. It was a week of contrasts for Wildcat alumni across the league.

Rashawn Slater: IR, Surgery, and a Chargers Offensive Line in Crisis

The news was as bad as it gets for Rashawn Slater and the Los Angeles Chargers. The Pro Bowl left tackle — who suffered a high-ankle sprain during the team's Week 4 loss to the Seahawks, a game in which multiple linemen also went down — underwent a TightRope ankle procedure Friday and was subsequently placed on injured reserve, ending any short-term hope of a return.

The surgery, confirmed by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, was designed to accelerate recovery, but an IR designation means Slater will miss at minimum four games. For a Chargers team that dropped to 0-4, the timing couldn't be worse. Slater wasn't the only tackle hurt against Seattle — Joe Alt also exited with a neck injury — leaving Los Angeles potentially without both starting tackles heading into their Week 5 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Pro Football Focus responded accordingly, ranking the Chargers' offensive line 29th in the league following the injury news.

Coach Jim Harbaugh had already telegraphed the severity of the situation earlier in the week, telling reporters Slater would "miss some time" and flagging him as an IR candidate. The surgery and subsequent designation confirmed the worst. For a Northwestern alum who has been one of the premier left tackles in football since entering the league, watching his season potentially unravel through injury is a brutal development — and a significant blow to Justin Herbert's protection and the Chargers' rebuild.

Greg Newsome II: Right Scheme, Right Moment

While Slater's situation darkened, Greg Newsome II is having the best weeks of his career in East Rutherford. The former Northwestern cornerback — acquired by the Giants this offseason — is backing up every bit of the confidence he said he carried into New York.

Newsome added an interception in the Giants' Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals (36-24), continuing to anchor a secondary that has now forced eight takeaways through four games. That's a remarkable turnaround for a defense that was ranked 27th in its secondary heading into the season. Newsome told Sports Illustrated he isn't surprised by the unit's resurgence, having entered the season with full belief in the scheme and the personnel around him.

His move from Cleveland to New York looks like one of the quietly smart defensive acquisitions of the offseason. Scheme fit matters, and Newsome — who described playing in the right system as "priceless" — is proving that point every week.

Also Watching: Caleb Tiernan and Adetomiwa Adebawore

Two other Wildcats drew attention on the periphery. Vikings rookie offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan could be thrust into a starting role after left tackle Christian Darrisaw suffered a concussion, putting the Northwestern product on the verge of his first significant NFL action. Meanwhile, Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore continued to log productive snaps in Indianapolis's Week 4 victory over Washington (30-13), per snap count analysis out of Indy.

Northwestern's NFL footprint is wide — but this week, it was Slater's absence and Newsome's ascent that defined the Wildcat story.

Northwestern Alumni NFL Roundup | Sept. 20–26, 2026

The biggest news out of the Northwestern alumni corner this week came from the offensive line — which, if you've followed Rashawn Slater's career, is exactly where you'd expect it.

Slater Back at Full Speed

After being limited in Wednesday's practice, Slater was a full participant on Thursday ahead of the Chargers' matchup with the Bills — a welcome sight for a Los Angeles team that leans heavily on its left tackle to keep its offense upright. Slater, who has established himself as one of the premier offensive linemen in the NFL since being drafted by the Chargers in the first round out of Evanston, had drawn concern after missing time, but the escalation from limited to full practice in back-to-back days signals he's on track.

For Chargers fans, the timing couldn't be better. A Bills defense that consistently generates pressure is not an opponent you want to face shorthanded up front. Slater's return to full participation effectively removes a significant question mark from the team's injury report heading into what figures to be a high-stakes matchup.

It's worth noting that Slater wasn't the only key Charger returning to full practice this week — safety Derwin James made the same progression alongside him — but for Northwestern faithful, it's the big tackle from Evanston who commands the spotlight.

The Rest of the Wildcat Watch

Beyond Slater, Northwestern's sizable NFL alumni contingent was relatively quiet in terms of headline-grabbing moments this week.

Greg Newsome II, the cornerback now with the New York Giants, saw action in the Giants' Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams — a 28–6 result that didn't offer much for any Giant to hang their hat on. Newsome is one of the more talented corners Northwestern has produced in the modern era, and the Giants will need him healthy and sharp as they work to find their footing.

The Chargers also count linebacker Cam Johnson among their Northwestern alumni, giving Los Angeles a modest but notable Wildcat presence on both sides of the ball.

Elsewhere across the league, the Northwestern pipeline remains remarkably broad — from Adetomiwa Adebawore on the Colts' defensive line to Evan Hull carrying the ball in Arizona, to Peter Skoronski continuing his development in Tennessee. None generated major injury or performance news this week, which from a roster-building standpoint is often the best possible outcome.

The Bigger Picture

Slater's health is a genuine storyline worth tracking for the remainder of the season. When he's on the field and operating at full capacity, the Chargers' offense functions at a different level. His ability to neutralize elite edge rushers gives Los Angeles the kind of foundational protection that championships are built on. A full practice week, ahead of a tough matchup, is exactly the momentum the Chargers — and Northwestern alums everywhere — were hoping to see.

Northwestern Alumni NFL Roundup | Week of Sept. 13–19, 2026

New York's cornerback situation is quickly becoming one of the more alarming injury stories in the NFL heading into Week 2 — and a pair of Northwestern alumni are right at the heart of it.

Greg Newsome II is listed as banged up on the Giants' injury report, adding another layer of concern to a cornerback room already buckling under the weight of attrition. Fellow corner Paulson Adebo — a former LSU product, not a Wildcat, but a key piece of New York's secondary — has already been placed on injured reserve, effectively wiping him from the Week 2 equation. Deonte Banks is nursing his own ailment. Even offensive tackle Andrew Thomas surfaced on the report with a new issue. For a Giants team that dropped its Week 1 home game to Dallas, 28–20, the timing couldn't be worse.

New York faces the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night in Week 2, and the cornerback depth chart heading into that matchup is alarmingly thin. With Adebo shelved for an extended stretch and Newsome's availability in question, the Giants could be forced to patch together their secondary with reserves and rotational pieces against a Rams passing attack that will not hesitate to exploit the situation.

Newsome, the former Northwestern standout and first-round pick, was on the field for the Week 1 loss to the Cowboys but did not register notable stat line contributions in the box score. His ability to suit up and play through whatever is ailing him Monday night could define New York's defensive game plan — or lack thereof — against Los Angeles.

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Slater Shines in LA

On the other side of the country, Rashawn Slater had a strong Week 1 outing for the Los Angeles Chargers, earning recognition in PFF's post-week grading as one of the team's top offensive performers. The Northwestern offensive tackle — a perennial stalwart on LA's line — anchored protection alongside a Chargers offense that rolled in its season opener. Slater continues to cement his status as one of the better blind-side blockers in the AFC.

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The contrast between Newsome's turbulent situation and Slater's steady excellence captures the range of the Wildcat experience across the league right now. Northwestern has no shortage of NFL contributors — the active alumni list spans nearly every position group and a dozen-plus franchises — but this week, all eyes are on what's happening in East Rutherford, where a cornerback depth crisis has put Newsome's week, and possibly his health, under the microscope.

The Giants need answers at cornerback before Monday night. Whether Newsome is one of them remains to be seen.