Iowa's Kaden Wetjen caps NFL preseason debut with first touchdown
· Yahoo Sports
Kaden Wetjen made a name for himself at Iowa as a return specialist. He was a two-time Jet Award winner and Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year. On Thursday night, he officially introduced himself to a new fan base in black and gold through some big offensive contributions.
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Wetjen in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. After a long offseason, the former Hawkeye made his NFL debut in the Steelers' preseason opener on Thursday night. And it didn't take him long to win over the hometown fans.
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In the third quarter, Wetjen caught an in route from former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. He scampered down the sidelines, showing off the jets, for a 75-yard gain. He was just a few yards away from his first career score. He wouldn't have to wait long to find the end zone in Pittsburgh.
Watch Kaden Wetjen break loose for 75 yards! @Steelers
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026
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On the Steelers' very next drive, the offense drove down the field and got to a first-and-goal at the Green Bay 5-yard line. Allar would roll to his left and find a wide-open Wetjen for a touchdown. It was the first professional score for Wetjen, who found the end zone regularly as a Hawkeye.
Steelers QB Drew Allar adds a passing TD to his statline:
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026
8/10
143 yards
Passing TD
Rushing TD
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Wetjen finished his NFL debut with two receptions, a game-high 79 receiving yards, and a touchdown. He added three kick returns for 61 yards and two punt returns for 10 yards. Wetjen looks primed to play a big role on a Steelers team with playoff aspirations. His debut on Thursday night showed he's capable of doing just that.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa's Kaden Wetjen caps NFL preseason debut with first touchdown