Tulane Professional Athletes

Tyjae Spears' Titans Tenure Is on Shaky Ground

Tulane's most prominent NFL alumni story this week isn't about a big game — it's about a disappearing act.

Running back Tyjae Spears was officially ruled out for the Tennessee Titans' Week 8 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, joining wide receiver Carnell Tate and punter Tommy Townsend on the inactive list. The reason is injury, but the timing makes the situation more complicated than a simple missed game. Spears had already been trending toward irrelevance in Tennessee's offense, his snap count quietly eroding over recent weeks to the point that a veteran running back — one nobody had pegged for a role heading into the season — has reportedly been filling the void.

The concern for Spears isn't just the missed Sunday. It's whether he has a meaningful role to come back to. When a player's snaps decline before an injury strikes, the injury doesn't reset the clock — it just buys time for a replacement to entrench himself further. That's the uncomfortable math Spears is now facing.

Meanwhile, fellow Titan and Tulane alum Jha'Quan Jackson (WR) could see additional opportunity with both Tate and Spears sidelined, though available reporting does not include game stats for Jackson in this window.

---

A Few Other Green Wave Alumni Check In

The week wasn't without other Tulane activity around the league.

Darnell Mooney (WR, New York Giants) saw limited action in a Week 8 win over the Houston Texans, logging one reception for four yards and three rushing yards in a 27–21 New York victory. Not a breakout showing, but Mooney remains active and on the field.

Adin Huntington (DE, Cleveland Browns) contributed a sack in Cleveland's 27–24 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday — a result that, ironically, adds more noise to Tennessee's turbulent season and the environment Spears is trying to navigate. Huntington's pass-rush presence was a bright spot for Cleveland in a tight game.

Johnathan Edwards (CB, Indianapolis Colts) received an elevation from the practice squad ahead of the Colts' Week 8 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving him another opportunity to make a case for a permanent roster spot.

Ryan Wright (P, New Orleans Saints) suited up in the Saints' 10–16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, though his individual numbers weren't detailed in available reports.

The Kick That Almost Didn't Happen

Tulane's Cairo Santos didn't wait to be asked. With the Chicago Bears clinging to a six-point lead late in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's 30-24 win over the New England Patriots, head coach Ben Johnson had already signaled for a punt. Santos had other ideas — and he said so.

The veteran kicker lobbied his coaches to let him attempt a 58-yard field goal instead, a distance that would set a career long. Johnson relented, and Santos delivered, sealing Chicago's Week 7 victory at Soldier Field and handing the Bears one of their more emphatic wins of the young season.

The drama had layers. Earlier in the half, Santos had missed from 53 yards, which made Johnson's willingness to send him out from five yards farther all the more striking. And the kick itself came on the heels of a late-game mistake by quarterback Caleb Williams that could have flipped the momentum entirely. Instead, Santos bailed out the offense and made both his coach and his quarterback look considerably wiser than they had moments before.

Santos was named a clear winner in post-game analysis, and the redemption arc — miss from 53, convert from 58 — was the defining subplot of a thriller that kept Bears fans nervous until the final horn. For a Tulane alum who has quietly built one of the longer kicking careers in the league, it was a signature moment.

Around the League

Santos wasn't the only Green Wave alumni drawing attention this week, though no one matched his spotlight.

In Tennessee, running back Tyjae Spears continues to navigate a difficult stretch. Spears logged just one rushing yard and seven receiving yards in the Titans' 26-20 win over Indianapolis in Week 6, and he entered Week 7 listed as questionable with a hip injury. A recent Sports Illustrated report raised pointed questions about his development trajectory, suggesting the Titans may be weighing a backfield reset if Spears can't find more consistent production.

In New York, wide receiver Darnell Mooney flashed some versatility in the Giants' Week 6 loss to the Saints, registering 20 rushing yards — a notable wrinkle for a pass-catcher in a game New York dropped 34-27.

Buffalo linebacker Dorian Williams contributed a pick in the Bills' 33-30 win over Las Vegas in Week 6, a quiet but meaningful stat line for the second-year defender continuing to carve out a role in Buffalo's defense.

Browns defensive end Adin Huntington remains in the league's conversation for less flattering reasons — the NFL cited a Week 4 hip-drop tackle he committed on Aaron Rodgers as a textbook example of the penalty when educating teams on the call, even though no flag was thrown in the game.

The Bottom Line

Santos is the story of Tulane's week — and arguably one of the stories of the NFL's week. A kicker who lobbied for a high-pressure attempt, converted it from career-long distance, and rescued his team from its own late-game miscues is the rare special-teams moment that transcends position. Green Wave fans have reason to keep a close eye on that Bears kicker for years to come.

The Incident Everyone's Talking About

Tulane's most-discussed alumnus this week isn't a quarterback or a skill player — it's a kicker. Cairo Santos, the Chicago Bears' veteran placekicker, found himself at the center of one of the NFL's uglier sideline controversies after video emerged appearing to show him attempting to trip Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden during Chicago's lopsided 31-7 Week 5 loss.

Golden didn't let it slide quietly. The Packers wideout publicly called out Santos over the incident, and Packers fans amplified the outrage, labeling it a "dirty play" during what was already a demoralizing blowout for the Bears. The clip spread fast, and the verdict on social media was swift and harsh.

Santos has since responded publicly, addressing Golden's accusations directly. According to Sports Illustrated's coverage, Santos acknowledged the sideline moment but pushed back on the characterization — offering context for why he moved the way he did. Whether that explanation lands depends heavily on who you ask, but Santos is clearly not content to let the narrative sit uncontested.

The NFL has not announced any discipline as of this writing. For a kicker — a position rarely associated with on-field altercations — the attention is unusual, and the story isn't fully resolved. Santos and the Bears have a short week to put it behind them.

Around the Rest of the Green Wave

Santos wasn't the only Tulane alum in uniform during a rough stretch of results for his team. In Tennessee, running back Tyjae Spears was one of the few bright spots in a brutal 26-3 Titans home loss to the Houston Texans — a defeat that left Tennessee winless through five weeks. Spears was active in the passing game, hauling in 9 receptions for 28 yards, making him one of the team's most reliable outlets even as the offense sputtered badly. Snap count analysis from the game noted Spears' continued value as a pass-catching back in an offense still searching for an identity.

Cornerback Micah Robinson was also on the field for Tennessee in that same loss, though no individual stats were recorded for him in the blowout.

In New York, Darnell Mooney and the Giants managed a 27-27 draw against Washington — a result that feels like a missed opportunity given the Giants' position in the standings. Mooney caught 2 passes for 14 yards, a quiet afternoon in a game that ultimately went nowhere for either team.

Ryan Wright suited up for the Saints in their 23-13 home loss to Minnesota, while Dorian Williams and the Bills edged the Rams 37-34 in a Monday night thriller — one of the week's most competitive games, even if Williams' individual contributions weren't reflected in the box score.

The throughline for most Tulane alumni this week: tough team results, with Santos' sideline moment grabbing the headlines none of them wanted. The kicker who rarely makes news for anything other than made field goals is, for now, the story — and he's fighting to define it on his own terms.