Utah Professional Athletes

Three Utes, Three Stories Worth Watching

Utah's NFL alumni had a week that ran the full emotional spectrum — a backup QB making a legitimate case for himself, a receiver quietly staking his claim in a new home, and a fan favorite carted off with a knee scare.

Tyler Huntley Reminds Baltimore What He's Worth

With Lamar Jackson sidelined, Tyler Huntley stepped into the Ravens' starting role and looked every bit the capable backup Baltimore has long needed. Against the Bengals in Week 7, Huntley threw for 298 yards and a touchdown — staking Baltimore to a 13-0 halftime lead before Cincinnati mounted a second-half comeback fueled by a Ja'Marr Chase halftime speech and won 35-13.

The final score doesn't diminish what Huntley did. A 298-yard outing with one TD and one interception, plus 12 rushing yards, is a legitimate NFL performance under pressure. The Ravens were in command for a half; the collapse belonged to the entire team. Huntley's numbers were the bright spot in an otherwise frustrating afternoon for Baltimore, and they serve as a reminder that the former Ute remains one of the more reliable backup quarterbacks in the league.

Devaughn Vele Is Making Noise in New Orleans

Not every Ute story this week was about a loss. Devaughn Vele continued to build on a quietly impressive Saints season with five catches for 54 yards and a touchdown in New Orleans' Week 7 matchup against Pittsburgh — a game the Saints lost 16-10, but one where Vele was a consistent contributor. The big-framed receiver has drawn attention for his effectiveness both over the middle and in the red zone, and trade buzz has already started swirling around him, with some analysts pitching him as a valuable asset the Saints could leverage. For now, he appears to be one of the few genuine bright spots on a Saints roster that has underperformed expectations.

Britain Covey's Knee Puts His Role in Jeopardy

The injury note from this week's Ute alumni ledger is a serious one. Eagles wide receiver and punt returner Britain Covey left Philadelphia's Monday Night Football game against Dallas in the first half with a knee injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest. With Covey sidelined, Makai Lemon stepped in to handle punt return duties against the Cowboys. No timeline has been provided for Covey's return, and the nature of knee injuries means this situation bears watching in the days ahead. Covey's value to Philadelphia has always been as much about his return work as his contributions at receiver, making his availability a genuine special teams concern for the Eagles.

Around the Roster

Elsewhere, Browns rookie offensive tackle Spencer Fano continued to draw strong reviews in Cleveland — sources cited a standout individual performance from the first-round pick as Cleveland's offensive line takes shape around him. Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid dealt with a rib injury heading into Week 8, leaving his availability for the Ravens matchup in question through the week. And Bears cornerback Clark Phillips III was fined $11,550 by the NFL for unnecessary roughness stemming from a helmet-related hit on Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in Chicago's Week 7 win.

It was a big week to be a Utah Ute in the NFL — whether you were sacking quarterbacks in Carolina, picking off passes in New Orleans, or taking shots at USC on national television.

Devin Lloyd Is Half of the NFL's Best ILB Duo

The headliner is Devin Lloyd, who is earning serious recognition in his fourth NFL season. The Sporting News declared Lloyd and Bobby Okereke the NFL's top inside linebacker duo, crediting defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's 3-4 scheme for finally unlocking Carolina's linebacker room. Lloyd backed it up on Sunday, recording a sack in the Panthers' 25-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles — a win that came at the expense of fellow Utah alum Britain Covey, who was held without a notable stat line on the losing side. Lloyd's emergence isn't just a storyline; it's a validation of the kind of linebacker Utah has been producing at the NFL level.

Kincaid's Eventful Bye Week: Injury Cloud, GameDay Spotlight

Dalton Kincaid packed a lot into the Bills' off week. The former first-round pick appeared as a guest picker on ESPN's College GameDay alongside Pat McAfee — and didn't hold back. Kincaid took direct aim at USC, declaring, "I don't think they've recovered since that moment," a pointed barb that played well in Ute country. The segment gave Kincaid a rare platform to rep his alma mater on a national stage.

But the week carried some weight, too. Kincaid had been hurt in Buffalo's Week 6 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving the game early after hauling in 7 receptions for 38 yards. His status heading into the Bills' Week 8 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens remains a watch item, with injury reports listing him among players to monitor as Buffalo comes out of the bye. He's not the only Ute tied to that Ravens game — Tyler Huntley starts under center for Baltimore, fresh off a 165-yard, 1-touchdown outing in a 13-10 loss to Cleveland in which the Ravens blew a double-digit lead.

Blackmon Picks One Off for New Orleans

Julian Blackmon delivered the week's cleanest highlight: an interception in the Saints' 34-27 win over the New York Giants. Blackmon's pick was part of a New Orleans performance that also featured fellow Utah alum Devaughn Vele contributing 3 catches for 42 yards in the receiving game. The Saints are quietly becoming a Utah reunion of sorts, with Samson Nacua also on the roster.

Around the League

Elsewhere, Jaylon Johnson had a tough week in Chicago — called out publicly for a lack of effort on a Patriots touchdown at the end of the first half, and landing on the falling side of the Bears' Week 7 stock report despite the team's 30-24 win on Thursday night. Patriots rookie offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, meanwhile, has quietly become one of the more intriguing Utah stories of the season, earning genuine PFF grades while stepping into a depleted New England line as an injury substitute. His development is being noted as a bright spot in an otherwise bleak Patriots season.

Cody Barton (Titans) also drew league-wide attention — though not for what he did on the field. Reports surfaced that the Bengals have been urged to target the Utah linebacker in a trade, with his $21 million valuation cited as reasonable for Cincinnati's linebacker needs. No deal materialized this week, but the speculation keeps Barton's name in circulation.

Tyler Huntley Takes the Wheel in Baltimore

When Lamar Jackson limped off the field in Week 4 against the Titans with an ankle injury, Tyler Huntley — Utah's most prominent NFL representative — stepped in without flinching. He opened the second half with the Ravens up 24-7 and helped preserve a 24-18 win, throwing for 63 yards and adding 16 on the ground. It wasn't a stat-sheet explosion, but it was enough.

Now the assignment gets real. With Jackson officially ruled out for Week 5, Huntley will make his first start of the 2026 season against the Falcons on Sunday Night Football — facing a surging Atlanta offense led by Bijan Robinson. Jackson's ankle injury has been described as having a rough timeline for recovery, and Baltimore's brass formally announced the decision to hand the keys to their Utah-bred backup ahead of the SNF matchup.

For Utes fans, this is the moment they've been waiting for since Huntley established himself as one of the NFL's most capable backup quarterbacks. Baltimore is trusting him with the offense, and the national spotlight will be on.

Other Utes in Action

The Huntley storyline dominated, but Week 4 had other Utah alumni worth tracking.

Devaughn Vele quietly put together one of the more productive performances of any Ute this week. The Saints wideout hauled in 6 receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown in New Orleans' 24-45 loss to the Falcons on Monday night. The Saints' offense has been one of the early-season's more pleasant surprises, and Vele has been a genuine piece of it — QB Tyler Shough is reportedly building a strong rapport with him alongside Chris Olave.

Dalton Kincaid had a frustrating day in Buffalo's 26-29 loss to the Patriots. The tight end was limited to just 1 catch for 7 yards, a performance Bills head coach Joe Brady later addressed directly — citing scheme and game flow as factors in Kincaid's reduced workload. Buffalo's offense has been inconsistent through four weeks, and Kincaid's usage remains a point of discussion.

Tim Patrick, meanwhile, got a fresh start. The veteran wide receiver was activated off injured reserve by the Jets ahead of Week 5, giving New York another option in their receiver room as they prepared to face the Browns. It's a notable development for a player who has battled injuries throughout his career — getting back on the active roster is a win in itself.

On the defensive side, Cody Barton (Titans) and Terrell Burgess (Titans) were on the field for Tennessee's 18-24 home loss to Baltimore — the same game where Huntley entered. Cole Bishop was present for Buffalo's narrow loss to New England, while Mitch Wishnowsky punted for the winning side in that same 29-26 Patriots victory.

The week belonged to Huntley. Whether he delivers against Atlanta will be the defining story for Utah's NFL alumni heading into the back half of October.