SMU Professional Athletes

Two of SMU's most prominent NFL alumni had weeks to forget as the 2026 season kicked off — one sidelined before it barely began, the other struggling in a blowout loss with a new set of captain's stripes on his jersey.

Zach Wood Lands on IR

Long snapper Zach Wood's 2026 season may already be in serious jeopardy. The Saints placed the SMU product on injured reserve with a calf injury shortly before Week 2, forcing New Orleans to scramble for immediate depth at long snapper. The team promoted running back CJ Donaldson and signed veteran long snapper Scott Daly to the practice squad as a contingency. With IR placements typically requiring a minimum absence of four weeks, Wood's availability for a significant stretch of the early season is very much in question. It's a brutal blow for a specialist who has been a dependable presence in New Orleans — and a reminder of how fragile a season can be for a player at that position, where one man is often the entire depth chart.

Sutton Named Captain — Then Gets Torched in Week 1

The honor came first. Courtland Sutton was named one of Denver's team captains heading into the 2026 season, joining Bo Nix and Wil Lutz among those given the designation. Sutton spoke publicly about what the title meant to him as Denver opened its campaign. Then came Monday night.

The Broncos were dismantled by Kansas City 31-10, and Sutton was largely a non-factor. The veteran wide receiver finished the game with just 2 receptions for 11 yards — a quiet night by any measure, let alone for a captain expected to be a central piece of Denver's offense. Bo Nix and company struggled throughout, and the team's offensive performance drew pointed reflection from multiple players postgame. Sutton himself addressed the loss, acknowledging the Broncos have significant corrections to make heading into Week 2 against Jacksonville.

The contract situation adds another layer of intrigue. The Broncos made an unspecified decision on Sutton's deal just before the Jaguars game — a move analysts have interpreted as either a vote of confidence in his future with the team or a cap-flexibility play, depending on the lens. Either way, Sutton enters Week 2 with something to prove after a Week 1 disappearing act.

On the Other Side of Sunday's Chiefs-Broncos Fallout

While Sutton struggled, fellow SMU alum Rashee Rice had the more satisfying Monday night. The Chiefs wideout caught 2 passes for 19 yards and found the end zone as Kansas City rolled to the 31-10 win. It wasn't a high-volume performance for Rice either, but he landed on the winning side and added a score — a meaningful step for a receiver looking to reassert himself as a key piece of Patrick Mahomes' arsenal. That touchdown could carry added significance if Tyreek Hill rumors — swirling around a potential return to Kansas City — end up changing the offensive landscape mid-season.

The Bigger Picture

SMU's NFL footprint is broad — nearly 30 former Mustangs are on active rosters across the league — but the first week of the season delivered more concern than celebration. Wood's IR designation and Sutton's rough debut are the two storylines Mustang fans will be watching most closely as the season unfolds. Week 2 offers both men — and the team behind them — a chance for a reset.

Rashee Rice Is Running Out of Time — and He Knows It

There's no quiet entry into a contract year. Rashee Rice knows it, Andy Reid knows it, and apparently so does the entire NFL media complex converging on Monday Night Football's Week 1 opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos.

The SMU product is entering the final year of his rookie deal carrying offseason knee surgery, a history of off-field issues, and a chip the size of Arrowhead Stadium on his shoulder. None of that is subtext — Rice has been saying it out loud. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Broncos matchup, Rice made clear that he and the Chiefs have a point to prove in 2026, after a stretch that tested both the player and the organization's patience.

Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, in his return to Kansas City, offered his own pointed commentary, labeling Rice "hardheaded" in a media session previewing the Denver matchup. Rice didn't let it slide, responding publicly — a dynamic that adds another layer of intrigue to what is already a high-stakes situation. Head coach Andy Reid, meanwhile, sent a more direct endorsement of the wideout ahead of Week 1, putting his weight behind Rice as a key piece of the offense alongside Patrick Mahomes.

The health picture is clearer than it was this summer. Rice has been declared ready after progressing well from the knee procedure, though the Chiefs enter the season with legitimate depth concerns at receiver — Xavier Worthy is also returning from shoulder surgery, and the organization was floated as a potential trade destination for a veteran wideout as recently as last week.

SMU Footprints on Both Sidelines

What makes this game a legitimate Mustang showcase is the presence of alumni in meaningful roles on both rosters. On the Chiefs' side, running back Brashard Smith enters his second NFL season with stated ambitions to expand his role. Smith told reporters he's identified specific areas where he can create more impact in 2026 — a second-year leap that Kansas City would welcome given its skill-position uncertainty.

Across the line of scrimmage in Denver, Courtland Sutton has spent the week generating headlines of his own — though mostly about his quarterback. The veteran wideout described Bo Nix's pregame intensity as akin to a "caged mountain lion," and Sutton arrives for the opener with captain's designation in hand, per the Broncos' official depth chart released Wednesday. He lines up as a starter alongside Marvin Mims Jr. and the newly acquired Jaylen Waddle. Projections on how Sutton fares in this specific matchup are mixed — one analysis suggests Waddle may thrive where Sutton struggles against Kansas City's coverage.

Elsewhere Around the League

Danny Gray (Eagles) will not factor into Philadelphia's Week 1 plans after being placed on injured reserve, with the team adding Xavier Gipson to the practice squad as a replacement. It's a setback for the speedy wideout, who now faces a longer road back into the rotation.

Charles Woods (Patriots) appeared in New England's Week 1 contest, a 13–10 loss to the Seahawks, as the second-year cornerback continues to build his case for a roster role.

The Monday night spotlight, though, belongs to Rice. A strong showing against Denver doesn't just set the tone for the Chiefs' season — it could define what the next contract looks like. Few Week 1 games carry more personal stakes for a single player.

Two SMU alumni are navigating the NFL's most chaotic week of the year — and both are still alive heading into the 2026 regular season.

Shane Buechele Survives the Cut

The Bills made their final 53-man roster decisions this week and Shane Buechele didn't make the cut as Buffalo's third-string quarterback — but the SMU product didn't go far. Buechele was among the practice squad signings the Bills announced Monday, keeping him in the organization and one injury away from a potential active-roster opportunity.

It's a familiar perch for Buechele, who has spent his NFL career fighting for depth-chart real estate. Practice squad life isn't glamorous, but it keeps a quarterback in a system, in the film room, and in conversations. For a Bills offense with legitimate Super Bowl ambitions, being the emergency option isn't nothing — it's a foothold.

Cyrus Allen Is Making Kansas City Notice Him

Over in Kansas City, a different kind of SMU storyline is unfolding. Cyrus Allen is competing for a receiver spot with the Chiefs, and he's drawing enough attention that the team's WR coach felt compelled to weigh in publicly on his development — a notable signal that Allen has registered on the coaching staff's radar.

According to a report from Heavy Sports, the Chiefs' WR coach identified one remaining developmental hurdle for Allen: adjusting to the team's play-calling. Kansas City's offense is famously complex, and getting up to speed on the terminology and route concepts is a rite of passage for receivers new to the system. The fact that Allen's progress is being discussed at all puts him in a better position than the dozens of fringe players who don't even generate a coaching staff quote during preseason.

The Chiefs' receiver room has been a storyline in its own right. With Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Tyquan Thornton already in the mix, the competition for remaining spots is genuine. Allen making noise in that environment is no small feat.

The Bigger SMU Picture

Beyond the two headliners, SMU has alumni planted across the league heading into Week 1. Rashee Rice enters the season healthy with Kansas City after a year disrupted by injury. Courtland Sutton is set to anchor Denver's receiver corps. Kylen Granson and James Proche are both in Tennessee. Grant Calcaterra remains a depth piece in Philadelphia. Thomas Morstead — still punting — is with San Francisco.

The Mustangs' NFL footprint is real and spread wide. But this week belongs to Buechele and Allen — one securing his roster spot through the back door, the other trying to kick one open entirely. Both are worth watching as rosters settle and the regular season kicks off.

The path to an NFL roster is unforgiving, and SMU defensive tackle Jordan Miller learned that the hard way this week. The Denver Broncos waived Miller as the league's final 53-man roster cuts reshaped the league's landscape, ending his bid to stick with a Broncos defensive line that had no shortage of competition.

Miller's release is the most notable SMU alumni story of the week, but it doesn't tell the full picture of how broadly Mustangs are represented across the league heading into the 2026 season. More than two dozen SMU products remain on active rosters — a testament to the program's pipeline into professional football.

The Miller Cut

Miller arrived in Denver with a shot to carve out a role along one of the NFL's more competitive defensive fronts. That door closed Thursday when the Broncos made their move, per Mike Klis of 9News. Waivers will give other teams a chance to claim him before he potentially returns to Denver's practice squad — a route many bubble players take after final cuts. His NFL story isn't necessarily over.

Notably, Miller wasn't the only SMU tie to the Broncos: wide receiver Courtland Sutton remains firmly on the roster and enters 2026 as one of Denver's veteran pass-catching options.

The Broader Mustang Footprint

While Miller's release stings, SMU's presence across the league is hard to ignore. The Mustangs have alumni on multiple rosters heading into the regular season.

The Kansas City Chiefs alone carry three SMU products: wide receiver Rashee Rice, running back Brashard Smith, and linebacker Key'Shawn Smith. Rice, when healthy, has been one of Patrick Mahomes' most trusted targets, making the Chiefs arguably the league's most SMU-friendly locker room.

The Philadelphia Eagles hold two Mustang alumni in tight end Grant Calcaterra and wide receiver Danny Gray. The New Orleans Saints also carry three former SMU players — linebacker Roderick Daniels Jr., linebacker Moochie Dixon, and long snapper Zach Wood — giving the franchise an unusually deep Mustang contingent.

Veteran punter Thomas Morstead continues his career in San Francisco, while Shane Buechele — who began his college career at Texas before transferring to SMU — holds a roster spot in Buffalo as a backup quarterback. Kylen Granson and James Proche give Tennessee a pair of SMU-connected pass catchers, and Brandon Stephens heads into the season as a cornerback for the New York Jets after previous stints in Baltimore.

Kelvin Beachum, one of the longer-tenured SMU alumni in the league, remains on the Arizona Cardinals' roster as a veteran offensive lineman.

What's Next

Miller's immediate future hinges on the waiver wire. If he clears unclaimed, Denver could look to retain him on the practice squad — a common landing spot for linemen with NFL-caliber athleticism who simply ran out of roster space. The 53-man deadline is a hard line, but it rarely marks the end of a player's season entirely.

For the rest of the Mustang faithful, there's plenty to track in 2026 — from Rashee Rice's return to health in Kansas City to how Courtland Sutton fits into Denver's passing game without the distraction of camp roster battles.