Purdue Professional Athletes

Roster cut weekend reshuffled the NFL landscape, and two Purdue alumni found themselves at the center of the churn — both landing on new rosters within days of being let go.

Charlie Jones: Cincinnati's Loss, New York's Gain

The Bengals made a deliberate call at return specialist when trimming to their initial 53-man roster, and Charlie Jones was the odd man out. Cincinnati's decision didn't keep the wide receiver on the street for long. The New York Giants signed Jones to their practice squad just two days after his release — giving him a shot at reviving his NFL career under a new coaching staff.

Jones built a reputation in Cincinnati as a record-setting return specialist, and that versatility is exactly what makes him a low-risk, high-upside practice squad addition. Whether he's being stashed for depth or groomed for an active role, the Giants clearly see something worth developing in the Purdue product.

He's not the only Boilermaker in the Giants' building, either — running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. and offensive tackle Marcus Mbow are also on the roster, making New York something of an unofficial Purdue alumni hub heading into the 2026 season.

Reese Taylor: Broncos Cut, Dolphins Claim

Meanwhile, cornerback Reese Taylor had an even quicker turnaround. The Denver Broncos waived Taylor as part of their own roster cuts, and Miami wasted little time. The Dolphins claimed Taylor off waivers, scooping up the former Broncos defensive back alongside fifth-round rookie tight end Justin Joly in the same sweep.

Taylor arrives in Miami as a reserve slot corner, adding depth to a secondary that clearly valued him enough to spend a waiver claim. He'll be reunited in South Florida with fellow Purdue alum Zander Horvath, who is listed at fullback for the Dolphins.

The Bigger Picture

The back-to-back roster moves underscore something Purdue fans already know: Boilermakers keep finding their way onto NFL rosters even when the initial path closes. Jones and Taylor both hit the waiver wire and had new opportunities before the week was out — a testament to the value NFL front offices still see in each player's skill set.

With George Karlaftis anchoring Kansas City's defensive line, Derrick Barnes holding down a linebacker spot in Detroit, and Aidan O'Connell competing for time in Las Vegas, the Purdue footprint across the league remains substantial. Cut weekend thinned rosters league-wide, but it didn't thin the Boilermaker presence in the NFL.

Two Purdue alumni are navigating very different — but equally precarious — situations as NFL rosters take shape this preseason week. One is fighting to keep a job he held last season. The other is learning that rookie life in Las Vegas starts at the bottom.

Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants RB: From Starter to Roster Bubble

It was supposed to be Tracy's backfield to anchor. Instead, the former Boilermaker has turned the Giants' final preseason stretch into appointment viewing for all the wrong reasons.

Tracy's preseason performance against Miami was, by most accounts, another stumble in a string of them. According to the New York Times, the Giants' afternoon was designed to sort winners from losers — and Tracy landed firmly in the second camp, committing mistakes that reinforced growing concerns about his hold on a roster spot. The Athletic's 53-man projection, flagged by the Times, put Tracy's roster safety in direct question alongside high-profile names like Odell Beckham Jr. — a sign of just how uncertain his standing has become.

The arithmetic isn't flattering. Yahoo Sports noted that the way the numbers shake out, Tracy could find himself cut entirely. New York's backfield options are crowding the picture, and Tracy's fumbles and missed assignments have given the front office little reason to carry him on sentiment alone. He rushed for over 700 yards in 2024, so the talent is documented — but preseason is where teams make cold decisions, and Tracy hasn't made those decisions easy.

With cutdown day approaching, Tracy needs a clean week more than he needs another chance to recover from a bad one.

Fernando Mendoza, Raiders QB: The Rookie Reality Check

Over in Las Vegas, Purdue's other notable alumnus is getting his first taste of NFL depth-chart math — and it adds up to QB3.

Raiders offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak said this week he's open to naming Aidan O'Connell the team's QB2, which would slot undrafted rookie Fernando Mendoza — the former Boilermakers starter — into the third quarterback role to open the season. Per Yahoo Sports, Mendoza is projected to begin his rookie year as the Raiders' third-stringer, behind O'Connell and presumably the team's starter.

For Mendoza, this isn't a crisis — it's the standard rookie trajectory for a signal-caller who wasn't drafted. Getting active-roster consideration at all as an undrafted QB is a win. But the QB3 designation typically means a game-day scratch most weeks, minimal live reps, and a long road before meaningful snaps. O'Connell, himself a former Purdue quarterback, sits just one spot ahead of Mendoza on that same depth chart — a uniquely Boilermaker arrangement in the Nevada desert.

Kubiak's openness to the structure suggests the coaching staff sees Mendoza as a developmental piece worth protecting, not cutting — cold comfort, perhaps, but comfort nonetheless.

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Two Boilermakers, two preseason crossroads. Tracy needs a performance that convinces a skeptical Giants organization he belongs. Mendoza needs patience — and to learn from the quarterback in front of him who wore the same college jersey not long ago.

Two Purdue alumni are generating genuine buzz as NFL preseason camps heat up — one fighting for a starting job under center, the other stirring up positional chatter on the offensive line.

Mendoza in the Mix at Las Vegas

Fernando Mendoza arrived at Purdue as a walk-on and left as one of the program's most celebrated quarterbacks. Now he's in a three-way battle for the Las Vegas Raiders' starting job — and head coach Klint Kubiak isn't treating him like a token competitor.

After the Raiders' preseason opener, Kubiak went on record saying all three quarterbacks on the roster — veteran Kirk Cousins, incumbent Aidan O'Connell, and Mendoza — deserve first-team reps. That's a notable signal. Coaches rarely extend that kind of language to a player they've already written off, and it suggests Mendoza has done enough in camp to force the conversation.

O'Connell, himself a Purdue product, adds an unusual wrinkle: the Raiders could, theoretically, open the 2026 season with a former Boilermaker under center regardless of who wins the job. That's the kind of storyline that doesn't come along often in the NFL.

Mendoza's path to a starting role remains steep — Cousins brings experience and a large contract — but Kubiak's comments keep the door conspicuously open.

Mbow's Position Intrigue in New York

Marcus Mbow made headlines for a different reason this week. The Giants' offensive tackle has drawn speculation about a potential move to center, a position shift that would represent a significant change in his NFL profile.

The short answer from New York, per reporting: don't hold your breath. The Giants are not ready to give Mbow a real look in the middle, and the team appears content to develop him at his natural tackle spot for now. Still, the fact that the conversation is happening at all speaks to the kind of athleticism and football IQ that teams associate with positional versatility — a quiet compliment, even if the move isn't imminent.

Mbow was a first-round pick out of Purdue in 2024, selected 22nd overall by the Giants, and expectations remain high for his development on the edge of the line.

The Broader Boilermaker Footprint

Beyond the headliners, Purdue's NFL alumni footprint remains wide. Tyrone Tracy Jr. is also on the Giants' roster alongside Mbow, giving New York two active Boilermakers. George Karlaftis continues to anchor the Kansas City Chiefs' defensive line as one of the more established Purdue names in the league. Rondale Moore is with the Vikings, Charlie Jones with the Bengals, and David Bell rounds out the receiver contingent with the Browns.

The Mendoza-O'Connell subplot in Las Vegas, though, is the rare alumni story worth circling back to when the regular season arrives. Two Purdue quarterbacks, one roster, one starting job — Jeff Brohm's old program couldn't have scripted it better.