Oregon State Professional Athletes

Oregon State in the NFL | Week of Oct. 25–31

The biggest story out of Beaver Country this week has nothing to do with touchdowns — it's about a cornerback who's had enough.

Nahshon Wright is done waiting.

The Oregon State alum and Jets CB went public with his discontent this week, telling reporters he's "definitely frustrated" with his limited defensive playing time in New York — a sting that cuts deeper given he recently signed a new contract with the team. While Wright stopped short of filing an official trade request, the message was unmistakable: his stint with the Jets is under serious strain with the NFL trade deadline bearing down.

The situation reads as a cautionary tale about roster politics. Wright put in the work, earned a deal, and then watched his snaps evaporate. Now, with leverage limited and the deadline clock ticking, he's left publicly telegraphing his desire to move on — a move that carries risk but signals just how untenable things have become. Per Sports Illustrated, his Jets tenure is "officially beyond saving." That's not spin. That's the corner talking.

Whether a trade materializes before the deadline is the open question. Teams in need of secondary depth know Wright is available in spirit if not yet officially on the block. The Jets, meanwhile, face the awkward optics of moving a player who went out of his way to re-sign with the organization.

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Brandin Cooks: Planes, Byes, and a Rough Sunday

Over in San Francisco, fellow Beaver alum Brandin Cooks had a week to forget — and then a week to reset. The 49ers wide receiver was held to one catch for 13 yards in San Francisco's 29-20 loss to Atlanta on Oct. 25, a performance that drew scrutiny as the Niners' offense sputtered. Despite the surrounding star power — Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle — San Francisco's receiver depth looked thin, and Cooks was not a solution on the day.

The silver lining: the 49ers' bye week followed, giving Cooks time to regroup. He marked the break in memorable fashion, posting video of himself piloting a plane — a reminder that whatever is happening on the field, the veteran wideout is not sweating it on the ground. Still, with trade chatter swirling around the 49ers' receiver room and the team reportedly eyeing upgrades at the position, Cooks' role bears watching as San Francisco pushes toward the playoff stretch.

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Around the League

Kitan Oladapo and the Green Bay Packers handled the Carolina Panthers 27-19 on Thursday Night Football (Oct. 29), keeping Green Bay in the thick of the NFC race. Oladapo, who plays safety for the Packers, is one of several Oregon State alums on Green Bay's roster — a Beaver pipeline that has quietly become one of the more impressive in the league.

The rest of Oregon State's NFL contingent — a roster that spans nearly every team and position group — had a quieter week, but the sheer volume of Beavers active across the league remains a testament to the program's ability to develop professional talent.

The Wright situation will dominate the conversation heading into November. Watch the deadline wire closely.

Oregon State alumni made sure Week 6 belonged to the Beavers — at least for one Sunday afternoon.

Teagan Quitoriano turned in the marquee performance of the week, hauling in two touchdown receptions for the Arizona Cardinals in a 21-45 loss to the Detroit Lions on Oct. 11. The OSU tight end finished with 2 catches for 15 yards, but it was the pair of scores that told the real story — a reminder that Quitoriano remains a reliable red-zone weapon even when the box score doesn't flatter the rest of the stat line.

The Cardinals couldn't hold off Detroit, but Quitoriano's afternoon gave Beaver fans something to cheer about. Two touchdowns in a single game is no small feat for a tight end in a losing effort, and it speaks to the trust the Arizona offense places in him when it matters most.

Cooks Finds the End Zone in San Francisco Thriller

While Quitoriano was lighting up the scoreboard in Arizona, Brandin Cooks was doing the same across the league. The veteran wide receiver caught 1 pass for 7 yards and a touchdown as the San Francisco 49ers edged the Seattle Seahawks 32-29 in a tight NFC West showdown.

It was a modest stat line for Cooks, who has largely been viewed as depth behind the 49ers' pecking order at wideout. But a touchdown is a touchdown, and on a day when San Francisco needed every point to survive Seattle, Cooks delivered. His score came in a game where Mike Evans led the way with 7 catches, 113 yards, and a touchdown of his own — yet Cooks chipped in where it counted.

Two Oregon State alumni. One Sunday. Both in the end zone. The odds of that happening across a 30-team league on any given week are long, and the Beaver faithful aren't likely to let the moment pass quietly.

The Rest of the Beaver Roll Call

Beyond the touchdowns, a handful of other OSU alums were suiting up around the league in Week 6. Anthony Gould's Colts fell to the Steelers 22-34, Skyler Thomas and the Bears were routed by the Packers 7-31, and Kitan Oladapo was on the winning side of that same Green Bay blowout. None of those games produced notable individual stat lines from the Beaver contingent, but the sheer number of Oregon State products active across the NFL on any given Sunday underscores just how deep the program's pipeline runs.

For now, though, Quitoriano and Cooks own the week. Corvallis, consider yourself represented.

Two Oregon State alumni are making headlines for very different reasons this week — one is fighting for his NFL life, the other is quietly rebuilding one.

Nahshon Wright's Jets tenure is on thin ice

Nahshon Wright's time in New York may be measured in days, not weeks. The former Bears cornerback — who broke out during the 2025 season in Chicago — was a healthy scratch for the Jets in Week 4, a stunning demotion for a player who arrived in New York with momentum and expectations.

According to Heavy Sports, Wright hasn't played meaningful snaps despite being fully healthy, a sign that his fit within the Jets' scheme is being questioned at the coaching level. The disconnect is stark: Wright was productive enough in Chicago to earn a roster spot in New York, but the Jets have yet to find a use for him in their defensive backfield rotation.

The situation has now escalated beyond a depth chart reshuffling. Sports Illustrated identified three potential trade destinations for Wright following his Week 4 scratch, indicating that the league is watching and teams have interest. The Jets' Friday injury report ahead of Week 5 included updates on Wright's outlook, suggesting his status remains a live conversation within the organization.

For Beaver fans, it's a frustrating storyline. Wright has the talent — his breakout in Chicago proved that — but opportunity in New York has been elusive, and a change of scenery may be the reset he needs.

Brandin Cooks lands with San Francisco

On the more optimistic end of the ledger, Brandin Cooks has found a home. The veteran wide receiver signed to the San Francisco 49ers' 53-man roster, according to multiple reports, giving him a legitimate shot at contributing to one of the NFL's most pass-friendly offenses.

Cooks, a long-tenured pro who began his career as a standout at Oregon State before first-round stardom, has bounced through several franchises in recent years — most recently with the Cowboys before being released. His signing with San Francisco is not a depth move; landing on the 53-man roster means the 49ers view him as a live contributor, not a camp body.

San Francisco defeated Denver 24-14 on October 4, the same week Cooks was added to the roster. Whether he played a role in that win isn't detailed in available reporting, but his presence on the active roster signals the organization's confidence in what he still brings.

Cooks remains one of the most durable and experienced receivers in the game. A reunion with a legitimate Super Bowl contender could be exactly the late-career chapter the former Beaver standout deserves.

Around the rest of the Beaver alumni

Elsewhere across the league, Oregon State continues to be one of the better-represented programs in professional football. Johnny Hekker punted for the Vikings in their 15-10 win over Miami on October 4, and Skyler Thomas suited up for the Bears in their 23-12 victory over the Jets — the same Jets team currently struggling to deploy his fellow Beaver, Nahshon Wright, effectively.

The irony of Thomas' Bears topping the Jets while Wright watches from the sideline isn't lost on anyone paying attention in Corvallis.