Iowa Football: Former Hawkeyes in the NFL Week 1 Watch Guide & Schedule
· Yahoo Sports
The pipeline from Iowa City to the pros remains as strong as ever for the 2026 NFL season kickoff. A whopping 33 former Iowa Hawkeyes have cemented their spots across 20 different NFL teams on active 53-man rosters or injured reserve lists. This year’s group boasts an incredible influx of youth, featuring 9 rookies who survived final roster cuts to make their professional debuts in Week 1.
Leading the charge as the ultimate Hawkeye havens are the black & gold Pittsburgh Steelers with 4 players on their active/IR roster, closely followed by the Packers with 3 players. Seven additional teams have 2 former Hawkeyes on their rosters.
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Here is the comprehensive team-by-team listing for the 2026 season, including Week 1 matchups. All times are Central Time (CT):
Arizona Cardinals
Week 1 Matchup: at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday, Sept. 13, 3:25 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Casey Kreiter #59 – Long Snapper (LS)
- Defense
- Karson Sharar #53 – Inside Linebacker (ILB) (Rookie)
Baltimore Ravens
Week 1 Matchup: at Indianapolis Colts (Sunday, Sept. 13, 12:00 p.m. CT)
- Defense
- Jay Higgins #44 – Inside Linebacker (ILB)
Chicago Bears
Week 1 Matchup: at Carolina Panthers (Sunday, Sept. 13, 12:00 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Logan Jones #60 – Center (C) (Rookie)
- Special Teams / Specialists
- Tory Taylor #19 – Punter (P)
Cincinnati Bengals
Week 1 Matchup: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday, Sept. 13, 12:00 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Erick All Jr. #83 – Tight End (TE)
Denver Broncos
Week 1 Matchup: at Kansas City Chiefs (Monday, Sept. 14, 7:15 p.m. CT)
- Defense
- Riley Moss #21 – Cornerback (CB)
Detroit Lions
Week 1 Matchup: vs. New Orleans Saints (Sunday, Sept. 13, 12:00 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Sam LaPorta #87 – Tight End (TE)
- Defense
- Jack Campbell #46 – Linebacker (LB)
Green Bay Packers
Week 1 Matchup: at Minnesota Vikings (Sunday, Sept. 13, 3:25 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Kaleb Johnson #28 – Running Back (RB) (Rookie)
- Defense
- Lukas Van Ness #90 – Defensive End / Edge (DE)
- Nick Niemann #56 – Linebacker (LB)
Los Angeles Rams
Week 1 Matchup: vs. San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia (Thursday, Sept. 10, 7:35 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Alaric Jackson #77 – Offensive Tackle (OT)
Miami Dolphins
Week 1 Matchup: at Las Vegas Raiders (Sunday, Sept. 13, 3:25 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- James Daniels #78 – Offensive Guard (OG) (Injured Reserve)
Minnesota Vikings
Week 1 Matchup: vs. Green Bay Packers (Sunday, Sept. 13, 3:25 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- T.J. Hockenson #87 – Tight End (TE)
New York Giants
Week 1 Matchup: vs. Dallas Cowboys (Sunday, Sept. 13, 7:20 p.m. CT)
- Defense
- Chauncey Golston #99 – Defensive End (DE)
New York Jets
Week 1 Matchup: at Tennessee Titans (Sunday, Sept. 13, 12:00 p.m. CT)
- Defense
- Dane Belton #24 – Safety (S)
New Orleans Saints
Week 1 Matchup: at Detroit Lions (Sunday, Sept. 13, 12:00 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Noah Fant #87 – Tight End (TE)
Philadelphia Eagles
Week 1 Matchup: vs. Washington Commanders (Sunday, Sept. 13, 3:25 p.m. CT)
- Defense
- Cooper DeJean #33 – Cornerback (CB)
- A.J. Epenesa #92 – Outside Linebacker / Edge (OLB)
Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 1 Matchup: vs. Atlanta Falcons (Sunday, Sept. 13, 12:00 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Gennings Dunker #68 – Offensive Guard (OG) (Rookie)
- Kaden Wetjen #17 – Wide Receiver / Return Specialist (WR) (Rookie)
- Defense
- Yahya Black #96 – Defensive Tackle / End (DT/DE) (Rookie)
- Logan Lee #91 – Defensive Lineman (DL) (Injured Reserve)
San Francisco 49ers
Week 1 Matchup: at Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia (Thursday, Sept. 10, 7:35 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Connor Colby #64 – Offensive Guard (OG) (Rookie)
- George Kittle #85 – Tight End (TE)
Seattle Seahawks
Week 1 Matchup: vs. New England Patriots (Wednesday, Sept. 09, 7:20 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Beau Stephens #71 – Offensive Guard (OG) (Rookie)
- Mason Richman #79 – Offensive Lineman (OL) (Injured Reserve)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 1 Matchup: at Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday, Sept. 13, 12:00 p.m. CT)
- Offense
- Tristan Wirfs #78 – Offensive Tackle (OT)
- Defense
- Anthony Nelson #98 – Outside Linebacker / Edge (OLB)
Tennessee Titans
Week 1 Matchup: vs. New York Jets (Sunday, Sept. 13, 12:00 p.m. CT)
- Defense
- Amani Hooker #37 – Safety (S)
Washington Commanders
Week 1 Matchup: at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday, Sept. 13, 3:25 p.m. CT)
- Special Teams / Specialists
- Drew Stevens #10 – Kicker (K) (Rookie)
When Sundays roll around, all eyes naturally gravitate toward the tight end position, where George Kittle remains an elite, bruising TE for the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit’s Sam LaPorta continues his meteoric rise as one of the game’s most dynamic red-zone weapons. T J. Hockenson made an immediate impact when he joined the Vikings in 2022, and Noah Fant moved to the Saints this spring.
On the offensive line, Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs continues to set the gold standard for pass protection, dominating opposing edge rushers week in and week out. Kaleb Johnson gets a fresh start with the Packers where head coach Matt LaFleur utilizes an outside-zone running scheme which perfectly aligns with Johnson’s strengths.
Defensively, the impact is just as pronounced. Linebacker Jack Campbell serves as the hard-hitting, high-IQ heart of the Detroit Lions’ defense, while cornerbacks Riley Moss in Denver and rookie sensation Cooper DeJean in Philadelphia have transformed their respective secondary units into no-fly zones.
On special teams, Punter Tory Taylor routinely flips the field for the Chicago Bears, proving that Iowa’s mastery of complementary football transitions flawlessly to the NFL. Joining him as an absolute wildcard to watch is rookie return specialist Kaden Wetjen in Pittsburgh, whose explosive, game-breaking speed gives the Steelers an instant threat to take it to the house every time he fields a kickoff or punt. And finally, rookie Drew Stevens, kicker for the Commanders, who was an Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA) who made the cut to their roster.