Yale's footprint in the NFL is always modest — the Bulldogs don't churn out first-round picks — but when a Bulldog earns a starting conversation in the league, it's worth a closer look. This week, safety Rodney Thomas II is doing exactly that in Seattle.
Thomas Is Making the Seahawks' Decision Easy
Thomas entered Week 1 on the Seahawks' practice squad, a roster fringe player with a résumé built mostly around his time as a former starter with the Indianapolis Colts. What he delivered in the season opener was apparently anything but forgettable. Seattle rewarded the Yale product with an elevation for the opener — and then turned right back around and elevated him again for Week 2's road trip to Arizona.
Back-to-back practice squad elevations aren't handed out as participation trophies. The Seahawks described his opener as a "game-changing" debut, and Sports Illustrated went further, framing Thomas as a "legitimate starter" and calling him the defense's perfect X-factor heading into Week 2. Mike MacDonald's defensive staff, widely regarded as one of the best in the league right now, doesn't use language like that casually.
The timing matters, too. Seattle is already dealing with injury attrition — starting right guard Anthony Bradford was ruled out for the Cardinals game, forcing Christian Haynes into the lineup. The Seahawks are navigating early-season roster stress, and Thomas is emerging as a stabilizing force in the secondary rather than a liability they're managing around. That's a meaningful distinction for a practice squad player two weeks into the year.
Whether Thomas converts these elevations into a permanent roster spot — and eventually a starting role — is the question worth tracking. The foundation is clearly there.
Around the League: Oluokun's Pick Headlines Jaguars Win
Elsewhere among Yale's NFL alumni, linebacker Foye Oluokun had a standout moment in Jacksonville's Week 1 blowout of Cleveland, recording an interception as the Jaguars cruised to a 34-10 win. Oluokun enters Week 2 listed as limited on Jacksonville's injury report ahead of a matchup with Denver, though he's expected to play.
The rest of Yale's NFL contingent — Kiran Amegadjie (Eagles), Dieter Eiselen (Texans), Nick Gargiulo (Broncos), Jackson Hawes (Bills), Ben Mann (Giants), and Mason Tipton (Saints) — is scattered across the league without notable headlines this week.
The story belongs to Thomas. Two elevations, one unmistakable message: Seattle likes what it sees from the Bulldog, and the defensive coaches around him are saying so out loud. For a Yale safety working his way back into the league's conversation, that's a long way from New Haven — and it's only Week 2.
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