Notre Dame Professional Athletes

Notre Dame's NFL alumni had a week worth remembering, headlined by a Kyren Williams masterclass and a quietly dominant Michael Mayer performance that together made a strong case for South Bend's pipeline at skill positions.

Kyren Williams Is the Rams' Entire Offense

The Los Angeles Rams escaped Philadelphia 24–20, and Kyren Williams was the primary reason. The former Irish running back posted 80 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, then added 10 receptions for 67 receiving yards through the air — a line that's difficult to find anywhere in the NFL in a single game, let alone from a running back. Sports Illustrated noted that Williams' pass-catching performance is now raising genuine discussion about him serving as a solution to the Rams' WR3 problem, which is a remarkable sentence to write about a running back. Williams isn't just a ballcarrier — he's a chess piece the Rams are using to reshape their offense, and Week 4 showed why.

Mayer Turns Heads in a Losing Effort

In Las Vegas, Michael Mayer nearly stole the show in a 30–27 Raiders loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Notre Dame tight end caught eight of his 10 targets for 82 yards — numbers that rivaled those of Brock Bowers (6 catches, 86 yards on 11 targets) and, in terms of efficiency, actually edged his more celebrated teammate. Mayer has quietly developed into a legitimate secondary threat for Las Vegas, and a 10-target game from an offensive coordinator is a signal of trust that's hard to ignore.

Around the Rest of the Irish Roster

Malachi Fields provided one of the week's more overlooked highlights, hauling in 2 receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown for the New York Giants in their 36–24 win over Arizona. It was a productive afternoon for the Notre Dame wideout in a game that wasn't particularly close.

Jeremiyah Love had a rougher go in that same Giants-Cardinals contest. The rookie running back carried for 63 yards but added just one reception for -8 yards, and Arizona's loss put a damper on any individual bright spots. Love's week was further complicated by an injury that drew scrutiny heading into Week 5 — the Cardinals were guarded in their messaging about his status leading up to the Lions game.

Durham Smythe's week ended on the worst possible note. The Ravens blocking tight end suffered a torn Achilles and was placed on injured reserve for the season — a significant blow to Baltimore's run-blocking infrastructure at a time when the offensive line is already under strain. Smythe had played in Baltimore's 24–18 win over Tennessee before the injury news emerged.

Kyle Hamilton returned to full practice participation after missing time, though he was listed on the injury report heading into the week. The Ravens safety's health is a storyline worth monitoring given how central he is to that defense.

Joe Alt was ruled out for the Chargers' Week 4 game against Seattle — a loss the Bolts ended up dropping 23–30 — raising further concern about the state of Los Angeles's offensive line. The Notre Dame tackle's absence was felt.

A busy week for the Irish diaspora, but make no mistake: Williams and Mayer were the headliners, and both made a compelling argument that Notre Dame's tight end and backfield lineage is very much alive in the NFL.

Notre Dame's NFL footprint was impossible to ignore during the week of Sept. 27–Oct. 3, with a rookie running back turning heads in Arizona, a Washington linebacker entering award conversations, a first-round pick's season derailed in Seattle, and Kyle Hamilton refusing to let a Ravens win get mistaken for good defense.

Jeremiyah Love Is Already a Problem

The Cardinals' rookie running back announced himself to the league in Week 4 with 90 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown against the 49ers in a 36–30 Arizona loss. Love also hauled in five receptions for 19 yards out of the backfield — a complete performance that had Sports Illustrated flagging him as one of three key matchup concerns for the Giants ahead of his next contest, a notable compliment for a rookie still finding his footing in the pros. The loss stings, but Love's box score is doing the talking.

Sonny Styles Is in the DROY Conversation

The Commanders' rookie linebacker has been generating enough noise that Washington beat writers devoted mailbag space this week to the question of whether he's already entered the Defensive Rookie of the Year race. The answer, per Sports Illustrated's Commanders coverage: yes, legitimately. For a Notre Dame linebacker to be discussed in that company through the first month of an NFL season is remarkable — and it puts pressure on Styles to maintain his trajectory as Washington's schedule stiffens.

Fellow Irish alum Sam Hartman remains on the Washington sideline as Styles earns plaudits, a reminder of how differently two Fighting Irish careers can translate.

Jadarian Price's Season Takes a Brutal Turn

What looked like a minor setback became a significant one. Price — Seattle's first-round pick — re-aggravated a chest injury during Wednesday practice, was ruled out for Week 4 against the Chargers, and was then placed on injured reserve on Oct. 3. He'll miss at least four games. Price managed just 15 rushing yards and 7 receiving yards in his most recent appearance before the injury worsened. The Seahawks will lean on Emanuel Wilson and George Holani through a grueling stretch of their schedule, and Price's development timeline has taken an unwelcome hit.

Kyle Hamilton Refuses to Accept Moral Victories

The Ravens beat the Cowboys 34–31 in Brazil in what was framed as a historic win — but Kyle Hamilton wasn't in a celebratory mood. The Notre Dame safety went public with sharp criticism of Baltimore's defensive performance despite the victory, going scorched earth, per Heavy Sports, on a unit that clearly didn't meet his standards. It's the kind of accountability-first posture that defines elite defenders, and Hamilton's willingness to call out his own team after a win says as much about his character as his play does.

Ronnie Stanley, meanwhile, was listed as questionable ahead of Baltimore's Week 4 contest, adding another subplot to a Ravens week that Hamilton clearly didn't want glossed over.

Around the Rest of the Irish

Kyren Williams had a strong individual week for the Rams — 88 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards on six catches in a 30–26 loss to Denver — though the Rams are reportedly wrestling with a "conundrum" over his usage. Michael Mayer caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in Las Vegas's 35–27 win over New Orleans. Ben Skowronek hauled in a touchdown for Pittsburgh in their Week 4 win over Cincinnati. Aaron Banks missed practice ahead of the Packers' game in Tampa Bay with a guard injury. It was a full week of Irish alumni news — and not all of it was easy to watch.

Notre Dame's NFL alumni didn't just have a good week — they had a historically tidy one for the defense. Three former Irish defensive backs each recorded an interception in the same seven-day stretch, a rookie running back turned heads in Seattle, and another made his NFL debut. South Bend had a big week in the pros.

The Pick-Six Club

The headliner belongs to the secondary. Xavier Watts (Falcons), Julian Love (Seahawks), and Cam Hart (Chargers) all logged interceptions during the week of Sept. 20–26 — a remarkable coincidence for a program that prides itself on defensive backs.

Watts did it twice. He was on the field when Atlanta routed Carolina 34–3 on Sunday, and then again Thursday when the Falcons handled Green Bay 35–14, recording his interception in that game. Love snagged his pick during Seattle's dominant 31–7 win over Arizona on Sunday, while Hart did the same in the Chargers' loss to Las Vegas, 26–14 — keeping his coverage credentials intact even in defeat.

Beau Stephens and the Seahawks' Rookie Backfield

The most buzzed-about debut of the week came in Seattle. Beau Stephens made his NFL debut against Arizona, and by all accounts, he made it count. A Yahoo Sports All-22 review of the game highlighted Stephens' promising performance as one of the key takeaways from Seattle's blowout win.

He wasn't alone in the Irish backfield spotlight. Jadarian Price — who famously turned down a lucrative NIL offer from Texas Tech to stay at Notre Dame and bet on his NFL future — delivered a solid if uneven rookie outing: 52 rushing yards and 8 receiving yards on one catch. The All-22 review noted Price showed the flashes and the flaws you'd expect from a first-year player still finding his footing in the league.

Other Irish Notables

Kyren Williams kept his strong start to the season rolling, rushing for 85 yards and hauling in a receiving touchdown as the Rams dismantled the Giants 28–6 on Monday night. The former Irish standout is emerging as one of the more reliable weapons in Los Angeles's offense.

Eli Raridon had a productive afternoon for New England in the Patriots' 20–3 win over Pittsburgh — one catch for 30 yards — before his week took a turn. Raridon's status was downgraded on the injury report heading into the following week, with the Patriots eventually signing a veteran TE to add depth behind him.

Michael Mayer chipped in 23 yards on three catches in Las Vegas's 26–14 win over the Chargers. And Malachi Fields grabbed two catches for 30 yards in a losing effort for the Giants.

On the injury front, Ronnie Stanley was ruled out for Baltimore's game in Brazil against Dallas with a toe injury, a notable absence for a Ravens offensive line that needed all the continuity it could get.

It was the kind of week that reminds you just how many corners of the NFL the Irish touch — and how often the defense leads the way.

The Main Event: Love vs. Price

The NFL's most compelling Week 2 subplot has a distinctly Notre Dame flavor. When the Arizona Cardinals host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, former Fighting Irish backfield teammates Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price will line up on opposite sidelines as NFC West division rivals for the first time.

The story goes deeper than nostalgia. Love confirmed this week that Arizona's coaching staff has been mining him for intelligence on his former teammate, asking the Cardinals rookie running back to identify Price's weaknesses ahead of the matchup. Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis acknowledged leaning on that resource, and Love has apparently been happy to oblige — three years of shared reps in South Bend will do that.

Love enters Week 2 with momentum. In Arizona's 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers — arguably the biggest upset of the opening weekend — the No. 3 overall pick gutted through an ankle issue that had clouded his availability all preseason, finishing with 41 rushing yards, a touchdown, and two catches for nine yards in limited snaps. Head coach Mike LaFleur has since made bold public statements about Love's expanding role, and Love himself issued a confident health update heading into Sunday, signaling the ankle is no longer a concern.

Price, meanwhile, had a measured debut for Seattle in Week 1 against the Patriots. His All-22 review drew positive notices for a limited role, and Seattle offensive coordinator Brian Fleury sent a clear message to reporters this week: Price needs — and deserves — a bigger workload. A Sports Illustrated analysis backed that view, framing Cardinals-Seahawks as a potential breakout opportunity for the rookie back, particularly with Seattle likely starting backup QB Drew Lock under center.

Also factoring into the Cardinals-Seahawks equation: Notre Dame safety Julian Love — no relation to Jeremiyah — is on Seattle's defense and publicly pushed back this week on how his unit's coverage metrics are being evaluated heading into the game.

Around the League

Beyond the Arizona-Seattle storyline, Notre Dame alumni had a productive Week 1 across the league.

Cole Kmet delivered for Chicago in a lopsided 59-37 win over Carolina, catching two passes for 35 yards and a touchdown. Michael Mayer was arguably the steadiest offensive contributor of any Irish alum in Week 1, hauling in six receptions for 32 yards in Las Vegas's 27-13 win over Miami. Malachi Fields chipped in two catches for 25 yards as the Giants fell to Dallas 28-20.

In Baltimore, Kyle Hamilton drew national attention beyond the box score — analyst Domonique Foxworth broke down the safety's gravitational effect on opposing offenses under first-year head coach Jesse Minter. Ronnie Stanley, however, is a name to watch: the veteran left tackle is listed as questionable for the Ravens' Week 2 game against the Saints with a mounting injury concern.

Harrison Smith remains a steady presence in Minnesota, and the veteran safety used his platform this week to issue a pointed warning about Bears pass rusher Dallas Turner ahead of the Vikings-Chicago matchup.

In Green Bay, Aaron Banks suffered an injury that prompted the Packers to sign an external guard, putting the Notre Dame lineman's Week 2 availability in question as the team navigates offensive line depth issues heading into their Jets game.