Utah Professional Athletes

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.

Devin Lloyd's Meteoric Rise — and Sudden Halt

It was the kind of week that encapsulates everything maddening and magnificent about the NFL. Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd put together one of the most jaw-dropping individual performances in Panthers history, made the record books, earned hardware — and then didn't practice a day later.

In Carolina's 34-3 demolition of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Lloyd recorded two interceptions and a sack, a stat line that Heavy Sports reports had never been produced before in NFL history. Panthers head coach Dave Canales didn't mince words afterward: "I've never seen a linebacker play better than Devin Lloyd on Sunday," per Pro Football Talk. The New York Times called it potentially the greatest performance by a Panthers linebacker, ever.

The recognition came swiftly. Lloyd was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday — a remarkable distinction for a player who has only been with Carolina two games since departing Jacksonville. The Panthers made Lloyd their signature offseason acquisition, and through two weeks, he had validated every bit of that investment.

Then reality intervened. Later Wednesday — the same day he received his award — Lloyd was absent from practice. The Panthers confirmed he would not play in Week 3 against the Browns in Cleveland, a gut punch for a team riding the momentum of its first win of the season. Per Pro Football Talk, there goes any chance at back-to-back NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

The highs and lows of Lloyd's week alone made for must-read copy. But there were other Utah alumni worth tracking.

Kincaid Keeps Rolling in Buffalo

Dalton Kincaid has quietly become one of the more compelling stories of the young NFL season. The Utah-bred tight end has posted an impressive start to his 2026 campaign with the Bills, putting up numbers that Sports Illustrated describes as a historic pace for a Buffalo tight end — and putting him on track for a potential franchise record by season's end. Yahoo Sports noted that offensive coordinator Joe Brady is deploying Kincaid as a genuine tight end, not simply a hybrid receiver — a usage pattern that appears to be unlocking his full potential through the first two weeks.

Other Utes Around the League

Julian Blackmon, now with the Saints, added an interception in New Orleans' 24-17 win over Baltimore — continuing to contribute at safety for his new team. Teammate Devaughn Vele hauled in five receptions for 64 yards in the same contest, giving the Saints a pair of productive Utah alumni in the same box score.

On the offensive line front, rookie Caleb Lomu is drawing increased attention in New England after veteran guard Mike Onwenu suffered an ankle injury. The Patriots are reportedly considering sliding Lomu from tackle to guard, per Heavy Sports — a positional flex that could vault the Utah product into a larger role ahead of schedule.

Meanwhile, Tanoa Togiai entered the conversation in Washington after right guard Sam Cosmi landed in the concussion protocol. Sports Illustrated reported the Commanders weighing Togiai against veteran Andrew Wylie for the starting role in Week 3 — another Utah lineman suddenly thrust into a depth-chart spotlight.

Lloyd's week will dominate the Utah alumni conversation for days. The history, the hardware, the injury — it's the kind of arc that makes the NFL impossible to look away from.

Kincaid Is Rewriting Bills Tight End History

Dalton Kincaid is doing something Buffalo's franchise hasn't seen in nearly six decades — and he's doing it in back-to-back weeks.

The former Utah first-round pick opened the season with 130 receiving yards on five catches in a 36-31 road win over the Texans on September 13, then followed it up Thursday night with seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in a 41-31 drubbing of the Lions. According to Heavy Sports, that historic pace stretches back to the franchise's AFL days in the 1960s — and per Sports Illustrated, Kincaid has a real chance to keep it going.

Sports Illustrated noted that Kincaid was among the biggest snap-count winners in Week 1, a sign the Bills' offensive staff is leaning into him as a genuine centerpiece rather than a complementary piece. By Week 2, the fantasy football world was catching up: Yahoo Sports flagged Kincaid as a "league winner" type asset after his TNF explosion, and SI's start/sit analysts were already debating him against Detroit's Sam LaPorta — a conversation that would have been unthinkable a month ago.

The Bills hosted a Thursday night showcase that felt tailor-made for Kincaid's coming-out party, and he delivered. With Josh Allen operating at MVP-caliber efficiency, Kincaid is the clearest beneficiary. For Ute fans watching a former Salt Lake City standout command the middle of an NFL offense, these two weeks have offered something rare: genuine franchise-altering production.

Vele Announces Himself in New Orleans

Across the league in the NFC South, fellow Ute Devaughn Vele made a statement of his own in Week 1. Playing for the Saints in a narrow 30-31 loss to the Lions, Vele hauled in seven catches for 69 yards and a touchdown — a breakout that sent fantasy analysts scrambling to waiver wires before Week 2.

Heavy Sports and Sports Illustrated both flagged Vele as one of the most important pickups of the week, noting that he gives Saints quarterback Tyler Shough a reliable second option alongside Chris Olave — who entered the week limited in practice. With Olave's health uncertain heading into Week 2, Vele's role only stood to expand. For a player who arrived in New Orleans with modest expectations, the debut was a full-throated introduction.

Around the Rest of the Ute Nation

The Kincaid and Vele storylines dominated the Utah alumni ledger, but a few other Utes merit mention. Cole Bishop, the Bills' second-year safety and fellow Kincaid teammate, appeared in both Buffalo wins and briefly left the Week 1 game before being deemed unscathed, per Sports Illustrated. He was back on the field Thursday as the Bills' defense clamped down on Detroit in the second half.

In Chicago, cornerback Jaylon Johnson drew headlines for candid comments about Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson ahead of a Week 2 matchup — calling Jefferson "top one or two" since his sophomore season and generating debate about whether Johnson was being diplomatic or genuinely confident. The Bears lost to Carolina badly in Week 1, 59-37, and Johnson was among those in the secondary facing heat entering the second week of the season.

And in Tennessee, linebacker Cody Barton's spot in the starting lineup came under pressure after the Titans' Week 1 loss to the Jets, with Sports Illustrated reporting that rookie Anthony Hill Jr.'s debut made a compelling case for a change at the position.