Tennessee Professional Athletes

Tennessee's NFL alumni had a week of sharp contrasts: one Vol emerging as a late-game weapon, another watching his season likely end before it began.

Palmer: Buffalo's Clutch Factor

Joshua Palmer is making a case to be the most important receiver the Bills didn't know they needed. The former Vol caught just one ball in each of Buffalo's first two games — but both came when it mattered most.

In Week 1 against Houston, Palmer hauled in a touchdown with under two minutes to go as the Bills escaped with a 36–31 win. The score was the difference, and the Texans could only watch their opener slip away on the final drive. Palmer followed that up in Week 2 — a Thursday night matchup against Detroit — with another single catch, this time a 43-yard gain that included yet another touchdown, helping Buffalo cruise to a 41–31 victory.

Two games, two game-altering TDs. Palmer isn't putting up counting stats, but he's developing a knack for the moment — the kind of role that can define a receiver's career in a winning offense.

Sampson: Season-Altering Blow

On the other side of the ledger, Dylan Sampson's NFL story hit a brutal early chapter. The Browns' running back suffered what the team is calling an expected long-term knee injury during Cleveland's Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars — a game that ended in a lopsided 34–10 defeat. Cleveland placed Sampson on the injured list and moved quickly to fill the vacancy in the backfield.

Sampson, who made the Browns' roster as one of their more intriguing young skill players, now faces a lengthy rehabilitation. The injury adds to what is shaping up as a bleak early stretch for Cleveland.

Around the Rest of the Alumni Board

The Vol Nation's NFL footprint extends well beyond the headlines. In Minnesota, Jauan Jennings and Theo Jackson suited up in the Vikings' dominant 39–22 win over Green Bay in Week 1, though neither posted notable individual stats. Jennings was ruled out — not merely questionable — for Week 2 against the Bears, forcing the Vikings into a significant decision at wide receiver.

In New York, Colton Hood found himself in line for a significant opportunity. With the Giants thin at cornerback — Paulson Adebo already on IR and Deonte Banks questionable — the rookie Tennessee product was being looked at as a potential starter against the Rams on Monday night.

Alvin Kamara missed Week 1 as the Saints fell 31–30 in overtime to Detroit, but the veteran back practiced fully ahead of Week 2 and was widely expected to return against Baltimore. Head coach Kellen Moore struck a measured tone about workload, signaling Kamara wouldn't automatically reclaim his full bellcow role.

In Chicago, Darnell Wright opened the week on the injury report after missing practice Wednesday before being upgraded Thursday — a minor scare for a Bears offense that leaned heavily on its offensive line to fuel the NFL's top rushing attack in Week 1.

Trey Smith of the Chiefs, meanwhile, was hit with a fine from the league following Kansas City's Week 1 win over Denver after being flagged for a chop block — a footnote for a lineman who remains one of the better guards in football.

Two Tennessee alumni traded Knoxville for Melbourne to open the 2026 NFL season, as Rams linebacker Byron Young and safety Jaylen McCollough suited up for Los Angeles in the league's first-ever game on Australian soil — a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, September 10.

The game itself was lopsided, but the moment was anything but ordinary. Young, who made the Pro Bowl last season, became one of the faces of the Rams' travel experience before a single snap was played. He posted a viral video of the team's charter flight — dubbed "boujeeee" by Young himself — that racked up attention across social media as the franchise crossed the Pacific. The clip helped the Rams' Australia journey go viral, and the team responded with a message of their own, leaning into the fanfare surrounding the international showcase.

For McCollough, the Melbourne game marked another milestone in what has been a steady rise in the Rams' secondary. The two Vol alums representing LA on the world stage is a testament to Tennessee's pipeline into one of the NFC's marquee franchises — even if the scoreboard didn't cooperate on opening night.

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More Vols to Watch in Week 1

The Melbourne game grabbed the headlines, but Tennessee's NFL footprint extended well beyond Australia.

Running back Alvin Kamara generated significant anxiety in New Orleans heading into the Saints' Week 1 road matchup with the Detroit Lions. Kamara had suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee during an August 18 joint practice with the Cowboys, but reports emerged that he was approximately two weeks ahead of his recovery schedule. He practiced fully on Friday and was ultimately listed as questionable — a far better outlook than the month-long timeline initially feared. The Saints, already shorthanded at the position after placing Audric Estimé on injured reserve, elevated undrafted rookie CJ Donaldson from the practice squad as a contingency.

Meanwhile in Detroit, center Cade Mays will miss time after breaking a bone in his wrist during training camp, delaying his debut with the Lions following what was considered a marquee offseason signing. Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has publicly backed Juice Scruggs to step in, but Mays' absence leaves a notable hole in a line Detroit was counting on to be sturdier than last year.

In Seattle, running back Velus Jones Jr. earned an elevated roster spot for the Seahawks' Week 1 opener against New England, stepping into a larger role after Zach Charbonnet's injury thinned the backfield. Also in the Cowboys' orbit, quarterback Joe Milton drew attention after Dallas's Sam Darnold went down — with at least one national outlet urging Seattle to pursue Milton as a backup option.

In Minnesota, wide receiver Jauan Jennings is drawing early-season buzz as Vikings fans weigh the receiving corps depth heading into Week 1 against Green Bay.

And in Nashville, long snapper Morgan Cox was named a Titans team captain for the 2026 season — a rare honor for a specialist and a reflection of his standing in the locker room after years of steady service.

It was a busy week one for the Volunteer Nation — none bigger than the two Vols who opened the NFL's newest international chapter from the other side of the world.

Joe Milton's Wild Week in Big D

It was a 72-hour whirlwind that had Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III trending across NFL circles — and it ended almost exactly where it started.

The Cowboys waived Milton on Monday to make room for running back Emari Demercado on the 53-man roster, leaving Sam Howell as the lone backup behind Dak Prescott. The move was jarring given that Dallas had initially kept three quarterbacks on its roster, and it immediately set off a free-agency frenzy. Bleacher Report and Yahoo Sports both published landing-spot breakdowns within hours of the cut, with several contenders floated as potential suitors for the former Vol signal-caller.

But the market never really had a chance to develop. Cowboys COO Stephen Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer made clear almost immediately that Dallas wasn't done with Milton — they wanted him back on the practice squad. The franchise moved quickly, and Milton re-signed before another team could pull him away.

Dak Prescott didn't hide his relief. According to Sports Illustrated, the franchise quarterback called Milton's return a "major win" for the organization, adding that he wanted to make sure Milton — reported to be upset about the initial cut — was in a good headspace upon his return. It's a notable endorsement from a franchise cornerstone, and it underscores the kind of organizational buy-in Milton has built in Dallas beyond just being a camp arm.

The sequence — rostered, waived, buzzed about, re-signed — compressed an entire offseason subplot into a single news cycle. For Milton, a Vol who spent last season appearing in four games for Dallas, the episode at least confirmed his NFL stock is real enough to generate genuine interest league-wide, even if the Cowboys ultimately kept him close.

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Other Vols on the Move

Milton wasn't the only Tennessee alum navigating roster chaos this week.

Hendon Hooker, the former Vol who transferred his story to the NFL with the Titans, was among the casualties as Tennessee's pro franchise trimmed to 53 players. The Titans waived Hooker alongside Will Levis, a significant cut that leaves the direction of Nashville's quarterback room in flux heading into the season.

Jalin Hyatt, the wide receiver drafted by the Giants, was also waived as New York made its final roster cuts. The Giants kept Odell Beckham Jr., and Hyatt — a Vol with big-play ability — didn't survive the numbers game.

Jabari Small, the running back who spent time with the Lions, was waived by Detroit as the team trimmed its roster Wednesday.

On a more stable note, defensive tackle Shy Tuttle had his own brief roster scare with the Commanders — released as part of Washington's cuts — but was quickly re-signed to the practice squad after the team also moved Laremy Tunsil and Johnny Newton to injured reserve. Tuttle's Commanders tenure continues, just with a brief detour through the transaction wire.

It was a turbulent stretch for Tennessee's NFL contingent, with Milton's story capturing the most attention. The Vol faithful will be watching AT&T Stadium's practice reports closely.

Two Tennessee alumni are dominating the preseason conversation for very different reasons — one is playing his way into a roster spot, the other just lost his.

Joe Milton Is Making Dallas Believe

When the Cowboys drafted Joe Milton in 2024, the conversation began and ended with his arm. A cannon, sure — but the kind of raw talent that makes scouts nervous. Two preseason games into 2026, that narrative is being rewritten in real time.

Milton capped a dominant preseason week by throwing for 179 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score in Dallas's 34–13 win over the Arizona Cardinals — a performance that prompted Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer to offer "really high level" praise, specifically noting how much Milton's command of the position has grown beyond his physical gifts. Schottenheimer has been explicit: NFL quarterbacks are more than "carnival" arm strength, and Milton, he suggested, is starting to prove that point.

The former Vol followed that up with another strong outing in the preseason finale against the Saints, giving him back-to-back showings that have legitimately complicated the Cowboys' backup QB decision behind Dak Prescott. CBS Sports noted that two strong outings have measurably strengthened Milton's case for the No. 2 job. The competition, per Pro Football Talk, is still "long from over" — but the trajectory is unmistakably in Milton's favor.

For Tennessee fans who remember Milton's electric but uneven career in Knoxville, watching him develop into a credible NFL backup candidate is one of this preseason's better stories.

Cedric Tillman Gets His Walking Papers in Cleveland

There's no soft way to put it: Cedric Tillman's tenure with the Cleveland Browns is over.

The Browns released the former third-round pick ahead of roster cutdown day, parting ways with a player who never quite found consistent footing in Cleveland despite the investment his draft slot implied. Multiple reports confirmed the move, with ESPN's Adam Schefter first breaking the news. The Browns, clearing room ahead of the 53-man deadline, opted not to retain Tillman as younger and newer investments took priority at the receiver position.

Tillman, selected in the third round out of Tennessee, finishes his Browns stint without having established himself as a reliable contributor. He now hits the open market as a 25-year-old with starting pedigree from his Vol days and the athleticism that made him a draft-day pick — factors that should generate interest from teams looking for cheap wide receiver depth.

The Sporting News identified several potential landing spots, and given Tillman's draft pedigree, it's reasonable to expect he'll draw calls quickly. But clearing waivers first will be the immediate hurdle.

Also Watching: Derek Barnett Back in Cleveland, Darnell Wright's Elbow

Two other Vols merit a mention. Derek Barnett quietly returned to the Browns' roster after Cleveland placed defensive end Alex Wright on IR with an Achilles tear — a low-profile but tangible opportunity for the veteran edge rusher to extend his career. Meanwhile, Bears right tackle Darnell Wright left practice early with a possible elbow injury, a situation Chicago will be monitoring closely as the regular season approaches.