Utah Professional Athletes

A tough few days for the Utes in the NFL

The final preseason weekend is always brutal — and for Utah alumni, this one left a mark. Two of the program's most recognizable NFL names absorbed significant blows before the 53-man roster cuts were finalized.

Wishnowsky loses the punter battle in Buffalo

Mitch Wishnowsky, the former punter who spent six seasons with the 49ers before signing with the Bills this offseason, was released as Buffalo trimmed its roster from 90 to 53. According to Pro Football Talk, the Bills used the cut to settle their punter competition — and Wishnowsky came out on the wrong side of it. The 32-year-old Australian is now a free agent, looking for what would be his third NFL home.

It's a quiet end to a chapter that included some strong moments in San Francisco, but the writing had been on the wall through camp. Wishnowsky still has the leg to compete for a roster spot elsewhere — expect a phone to ring somewhere around the league as injuries and special teams performance shake out over the first few weeks of the regular season.

Sewell carted off during Bears-Bengals preseason game

The more alarming development came out of Chicago. Bears linebacker Nephi Sewell was carted off the field during Saturday's preseason game against the Bengals with a leg injury, according to Yahoo Sports. The severity of the injury was not immediately confirmed in the reporting, but the image of any player leaving on a cart is never a good sign — particularly in a late-preseason game that carries real 53-man roster implications.

Sewell, a former Utah standout, had been working to cement a role in Chicago's defense. The timing couldn't be worse. Even if the injury falls on the less serious end of the spectrum, a cart departure in the final preseason week puts his roster status in immediate jeopardy and clouds what had been a promising camp trajectory.

One bright note: Huntley delivers in Baltimore

Not everything was grim for the Utes. Tyler Huntley threw a touchdown pass in the Ravens' dominant 41-3 rout of the Washington Commanders on Friday night, per Sportsnet. For Huntley, a perennial backup who has carved out real NFL longevity on the strength of his versatility and pocket management, it was a clean send-off into the regular season. Whether he sticks as Baltimore's No. 2 behind Lamar Jackson remains the annual question, but he did his part to answer it.

The bottom line

Three Utah alumni, three different preseason trajectories. Huntley heads into September with momentum. Wishnowsky heads into free agency. And Sewell's status is now the most pressing unknown in the Utah NFL community heading into Week 1.

Utah's NFL footprint stretched from Detroit to Denver this week, with three distinct storylines putting Utes alumni squarely in the preseason conversation.

Vaki's Health Becomes a Lions Watch Item

Sione Vaki's summer took an unwelcome turn when the Detroit running back surfaced on the team's injury report following preseason Game 2. Details on the severity remain limited, but his name appearing alongside other Lions casualties — Jabari Small, Cedrick Wilson, and Michael Niese — puts his early-camp momentum on pause. Vaki had been competing for a meaningful role in Detroit's backfield, making the timing especially frustrating. Lions fans will be tracking his status closely as the final preseason weeks wind down.

Kincaid Reminds Everyone Why Buffalo Drafted Him

While Vaki nursed his way through the injury report, fellow Ute Dalton Kincaid delivered one of the brighter individual moments of the preseason week. The Bills tight end stood out during a joint practice session with the Cleveland Browns, drawing notice from reporters covering the workout. Buffalo selected Kincaid with premium draft capital, and flashes like these — in competitive, pads-on settings against another NFL roster — are exactly the kind of reps that build confidence heading into a regular season. With the Bills counting on offensive continuity, a locked-in Kincaid matters.

Murdock Seizes His Moment in Denver

Across the AFC, the Denver Broncos used their preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons to get a long look at their inside linebacker room — and Red Murdock answered the call. The Utah product logged a healthy snap count alongside Broncos teammate and fellow Ute Karene Reid, with Taurean York also rotating through. Denver's linebacker depth chart has genuine competition, and Murdock's performance in live game action puts him in the conversation for a roster spot. Reid's presence means the Broncos are leaning on multiple Utes to shore up a critical defensive position — a testament to Utah's pipeline of NFL-ready linebackers under Kyle Whittingham.

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The preseason is where careers are won and lost, and this week's dispatches from Lions camp, Bills-Browns joint practices, and Mile High Stadium serve as a reminder that Utah continues to produce NFL contributors at multiple positions. Kincaid's standout reps are the headline, but Murdock's emergence and the uncertainty around Vaki give Utes alumni watchers plenty to monitor as rosters narrow toward the regular season.

It's been a busy August for Utah Utes in the NFL. Four alumni headlines stand out heading into the heart of preseason — and they range from heartbreak to ambition.

Vaki's Injury Rattles Detroit's Backfield

The roughest news out of Utes country: running back Sione Vaki went down with a "freak" injury on the very first day of padded practice at Lions training camp. Detroit responded quickly, signing free agent Raheem Blackshear and waiving wide receiver Lawrence Keys to make room. Vaki had been positioned as a key piece of the Lions' backfield depth, making the timing especially brutal. Updates from Lions camp suggest the team is monitoring additional injury concerns beyond Vaki's situation, but the Utah product's availability remains the biggest question mark.

Devin Lloyd Sets the Bar High in Carolina

From injury news to audacity: Panthers linebacker Devin Lloyd isn't arriving in Charlotte quietly. The former Ute has publicly named Hall of Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly as his measuring stick, telling reporters he wants to be the next great linebacker in franchise history — and eventually, a Hall of Famer himself. It's a bold declaration for a player new to the organization, but Lloyd has the pedigree to back up the ambition. Whether he can live up to Kuechly's standard in Carolina is a longer story, but he's clearly not afraid to write the opening chapter loud.

Junior Tafuna Finds a Home with the Jets

Defensive tackle Junior Tafuna had a brief scare on the open market after being waived by the Texans, but the Jets claimed him off waivers without much delay. Tafuna now joins fellow Ute Tim Patrick in New York, giving Gang Green a pair of Utah alumni on the roster heading into camp. For Tafuna, landing with a Jets defensive line in need of depth is a genuine opportunity to carve out a role — the kind of second chance that can define a career.

Blackmon Turns the Page in New Orleans

Safety Julian Blackmon is keeping the right perspective after an injury-shortened first season with the Saints. The former Ute says he's approaching 2026 with gratitude and expressed confidence in New Orleans' secondary as a unit built for success. Blackmon's ability to stay healthy will be the central storyline — when on the field, he's shown the range and instincts that made him a coveted free agent signing in the first place. A full season with the Saints could go a long way toward reestablishing him as one of the better safeties in the league.

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Elsewhere in the Utes' NFL footprint, Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson made headlines for a backhanded compliment aimed at quarterback Caleb Williams, and Raiders kicker Matt Gay is locked in a training camp competition with young challenger Kansei Matsuzawa. Gay's veteran track record gives him the edge, but the battle is worth watching in Las Vegas.

Utah's NFL pipeline remains one of the most productive in the Pac-12 era. This preseason is a reminder that Utes alumni don't just make rosters — they make news.