Notre Dame Professional Athletes

Marist Liufau's Preseason Finale Turns Costly

Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau's summer took a brutal turn in the Cowboys' preseason finale against the Saints on Friday night. The outside linebacker and special teams contributor exited the game early, returned to the sideline with his arm in a cast and sling, and is now headed for surgery after being diagnosed with a broken forearm. The injury threatens both his spot on Dallas's 53-man roster and his availability for the start of the regular season.

Liufau's value to the Cowboys has been built primarily on special teams, making him exactly the type of versatile depth piece that's difficult to retain through roster cuts when injured. Surgery and a recovery timeline that bleeds into September could force the Cowboys' hand before final cuts are due. Fellow Irish alum Zack Martin remains a fixture on Dallas's offensive line, and Brandon Aubrey continues to hold down the kicker role — but it's Liufau whose immediate NFL future is suddenly uncertain.

Other Irish Stories Worth Tracking

The Cowboys aren't the only team with Notre Dame subplot lines this week.

In Indianapolis, the battle between Irish alums Blake Grupe and Spencer Shrader for the Colts' kicker job is still unresolved heading into final roster decisions. The competition is described as neck-and-neck — a remarkable situation given that Shrader held the job to start last season before Grupe took over mid-year following an injury. The loser almost certainly won't survive cuts, making this an Irish-on-Irish roster casualty waiting to happen.

Meanwhile, Riley Leonard is fighting to hold onto the Colts' QB2 role against Anthony Richardson. Leonard showed enough positive signs in his preseason performance against the Falcons to keep the competition alive, but nothing is locked up. For a former Irish starter, sticking as a backup on an NFL roster would still represent a significant achievement — provided he can hold off Richardson.

In Green Bay, guard Aaron Banks is navigating both injury and scrutiny. Packers coach Matt LaFleur offered updates on Banks among other injured players this week, though the bigger cloud hanging over the Notre Dame lineman is an analytical one: a recent piece framed his contract as a potential sunk-cost situation for Green Bay, raising questions about his long-term fit heading into the final year of his deal.

On the other side of the country, safety Julian Love is being spotlighted as one of the Seahawks' under-the-radar contributors heading into 2026 — a quiet vote of confidence for the Notre Dame defensive back as Seattle opens the year.

And in Minnesota, veteran safety Harrison Smith remains unsigned, though Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed he's still in contact with the Notre Dame legend. At this stage of his career, Smith's next move — or retirement — feels close to resolution one way or another.

The week's dominant Irish story, though, belongs to Liufau. A broken forearm is not a career-altering injury in most circumstances, but the timing — surgery required, roster cuts imminent — makes this one of the more consequential injury reports a Notre Dame alum will face all preseason.

Notre Dame NFL Alumni Roundup | Preseason Week, Aug. 16–22

Irish alumni are scattered across 30-plus NFL rosters, but this preseason week, a handful are generating real headlines — from a viral training camp moment in Kansas City to a potentially historic return in Minnesota.

Alohi Gilman's Rough Week on the Internet

The Chiefs' safety didn't ask to become a meme, but that's the preseason for you. Travis Kelce ran a sharp route during Kansas City practice that left Gilman grasping at air, and the clip went everywhere — racking up views and reviving the eternal "Is Kelce still elite?" discourse at Gilman's expense. To be fair to the Notre Dame alum, getting cooked by a future Hall of Famer in a non-padded camp session isn't exactly a character flaw. And there's a bigger picture here: a Yahoo Sports breakdown of Kansas City's "hidden gems" roster this week named Gilman one of three under-the-radar players the Chiefs are counting on to sustain their dynasty run into 2026. The viral clip stings, but being listed as a secret superstar on a perennial contender isn't a bad week overall.

Riley Leonard Still Fighting for a Roster Spot

In Indianapolis, the QB competition behind starter Daniel Jones remains unresolved. Per Pro Football Talk, the Colts have not decided who will serve as their No. 2 quarterback, with Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson still locked in a battle heading deeper into the preseason. Leonard, the dual-threat product of Notre Dame's 2024 season, has time — but not much of it. With preseason reps dwindling, every snap counts. The Colts are clearly in no rush to tip their hand.

Rylie Mills Is More Than a Project in Seattle

The Seahawks' defensive end is drawing genuine film-room attention. A Yahoo Sports film review this week made the case that Mills — despite limited rookie tape — shows enough on film to be more than a developmental stash. The analysis flagged reasons for real optimism in his pass-rush profile, suggesting Seattle may have found something useful in the Irish pipeline. For a team rebuilding its defensive front, Mills earning early buzz is notable.

Harrison Smith and a Potentially Historic Return

Perhaps the biggest storyline of the week involving a Notre Dame alum: Harrison Smith may be coming back to Minnesota for a 15th season with the Vikings. A Yahoo Sports piece this week took a measured look at what's realistic if he returns, urging fans to keep expectations in check given his age — while acknowledging that even a diminished Smith brings veteran value to a secondary. If he suits up in 2026, it would be one of the longest single-franchise runs for a safety in modern NFL history. Smith has been a Viking since 2012. The legacy is already made; the question is whether there's one more chapter.

Around the Rest of the Roster

Not every Irish alum had a standout week. The Dolphins released cornerback Nick McCloud, a roster casualty as Miami trimmed toward their preseason game against the Giants. In Green Bay, guard Aaron Banks avoided the worst-case scenario — the Packers confirmed he did not have knee surgery, with the team instead managing tendinitis as he works toward the regular season. And in Baltimore, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley was among the veterans who spoke publicly about the Ravens' new coaching staff under head coach Jesse Minter, telling reporters the new regime emphasizes details more than the previous one — a meaningful endorsement from one of the longest-tenured players on the roster.

The Irish have never lacked for NFL representation. This week, they're earning their column inches.

Two former Fighting Irish are making noise in NFL camps this preseason — one as a defensive playmaker on the rise, the other locked in one of the summer's more intriguing quarterback battles.

Xavier Watts: Atlanta's Safety Tandem Is Turning Heads

The Atlanta Falcons aren't shy about their ambitions for their secondary, and Xavier Watts is a central reason why. The former Notre Dame safety has emerged as a rising star alongside veteran Jessie Bates III, forming what linebacker Divine Deablo has called the NFL's best safety tandem. Atlanta is banking on the Bates-Watts pairing to transform a talented secondary into one of the league's most dangerous playmaking defenses in 2026.

For a Notre Dame fan base that watched Watts develop into one of college football's premier ball-hawks, seeing that instinct translate to the NFL carries real weight. The Falcons clearly believe his ceiling is still climbing.

Riley Leonard: Every Rep Counts in Indianapolis

The quarterback room in Indianapolis is a four-alarm circus, and Riley Leonard is right in the middle of it. The Colts' first official depth chart of the 2026 preseason listed Leonard and Anthony Richardson as co-No. 2 quarterbacks — a diplomatic move that nonetheless signals genuine competition for the backup role behind Daniel Jones.

Head coach Shane Steichen gave Leonard the entire second half of the team's preseason opener against New England, while Richardson handled the first half. Richardson completed 11 of 14 passes in his half, putting pressure on Leonard to impress in his own extended audition. With Richardson now fighting to avoid slipping to third on the depth chart — behind both Jones and potentially Leonard — the Irish product has a real opening to cement himself as the clear No. 2.

Leonard's dual-threat profile was a selling point coming out of Notre Dame, and the Colts have given him every opportunity to make his case. How he performs with the reserves in these preseason weeks will determine whether this competition stays close or gets resolved quickly.

Also Worth Watching

Cole Kmet continues to generate trade buzz in Chicago, with outside voices urging the Bears to consider moving the veteran tight end — though analysts aren't convinced that deal makes sense for the organization. Kmet remains on the roster for now as camp unfolds.

Notre Dame's alumni footprint across the league runs deep — from Quenton Nelson anchoring Indianapolis's offensive line to Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore's defensive backfield — but this week, the spotlight belongs to Watts and Leonard, two Irish products with legitimate opportunities to define their NFL trajectories before the regular season kicks off.

Notre Dame's footprint across the NFL is impossible to ignore this preseason, with Fighting Irish alumni generating headlines from Las Vegas to Los Angeles — and a potential Hall of Fame conversation brewing in Indianapolis.

Nelson's Legacy Takes Shape in Year Nine

Quenton Nelson has been the gold standard at offensive guard since the moment he landed in Indianapolis, and now the conversation has officially escalated. An ESPN analyst made a bold preseason prediction this week: Nelson, entering his ninth NFL season with the Colts, is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. The declaration isn't outlandish — Nelson has been one of the most dominant interior linemen of his generation, and a strong 2026 campaign would only cement that case. For Notre Dame fans who watched him manhandle Big Ten defenders in South Bend, it's a satisfying, if unsurprising, arc.

Mayer Steps Into the Spotlight in Vegas

In Las Vegas, Michael Mayer is being handed a larger role in the Raiders' 2026 offense, and training camp has made clear the team intends to use him. The second-year tight end has been featured prominently in camp reps, and by all indications the Raiders are leaning into his physicality and reliability as a core piece of their offensive identity. Mayer was a blue-chip prospect out of Notre Dame for exactly this kind of role — a versatile, blocking-capable tight end who can also threaten the seam — and the Raiders appear ready to let him prove it on a bigger stage.

Williams Becomes McVay's Swiss Army Knife

Perhaps the most intriguing development involves Kyren Williams in Los Angeles. The Rams never resolved their punt return situation this offseason, and now Williams — already one of Sean McVay's most trusted players — is being looked at as the solution. It's a significant ask for a running back who also carries offensive workload, but Williams' standing in the organization makes him a natural candidate. McVay's trust in him runs deep, a relationship underscored by Williams earning the Rams' Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination. The NFC Championship return gaffe last season left a sore spot; Williams has a chance to rewrite that chapter before the regular season begins.

A Quieter Subplot in Chicago

On the injury front, Cole Kmet found himself at the center of an unfortunate training camp moment — not for his own health, but as the inadvertent backdrop to Bears cornerback Coby Bryant being carted off the field after a one-on-one drill rep between the two. It was an emotional scene in Chicago, though Kmet himself emerged unscathed.

The Bigger Picture

Notre Dame's NFL pipeline remains as productive as ever. Between Nelson's Hall of Fame case, Mayer's ascending role, and Williams' expanding responsibilities in L.A., the Irish are represented at multiple levels of NFL storytelling this week — not just as roster fillers, but as players shaping the identity of their franchises. Training camp is only a week old, and the Irish alumni board is already full.