Former Cardinal gear up for NFL season

Stanford has a wealthy custom of success within the NFL, and that custom remains to be alive getting into the 2024 NFL season. There are 27 former Cardinal actively signed with NFL organizations, together with a number of outstanding gamers.

Christian McCaffrey is on the high of the checklist. He has turn into probably the most priceless gamers within the league following his commerce from the Carolina Panthers to the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. His efficiency reached new ranges in 2023, main the NFL in speeding yards (1,459) and scoring 21 touchdowns en path to profitable the league’s Offensive Participant of the 12 months award.

Through the season, McCaffrey tied a 60-year-old NFL report for probably the most consecutive video games with a landing by scoring in 17 straight video games, tying the mark that Lenny Moore set from 1963-64. McCaffrey reached Tremendous Bowl LVIII with San Francisco and was within the dialog for Tremendous Bowl MVP after compiling 160 yards from scrimmage and one landing.

Among the finest tacklers within the league is a former Cardinal. Bobby Okereke joined the New York Giants final season and completed ninth within the NFL in complete tackles with 149. He additionally set profession highs in pressured fumbles (4.5), sacks (2.5) and tied a career-best with two interceptions.

Okereke joins Harrison Phillips of the Minnesota Vikings as former Cardinal to be named group captains in 2024.

Paulson Adebo was one of many leaders of a stable New Orleans Saints protection final season, tying for seventh within the league with 4 interceptions. The third-year cornerback additionally set a career-high with 76 tackles and 18 passes defended, greater than doubling his profession numbers in that division. 

Staying on the defensive aspect of the ball, Justin Reid grew to become the nineteenth former Cardinal to look in a number of Tremendous Bowls by roaming the secondary for the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl LVIII in opposition to McCaffrey and the 49ers. With the Chiefs win, he grew to become the fourth Stanford alum to win back-to-back Tremendous Bowls, becoming a member of John Elway, Darrien Gordon, and Ed McCaffrey, who all did it with the 1997-98 Denver Broncos.

A number of former Card tight ends switched groups within the offseason. Zach Ertz joins the Washington Commanders prematurely of his twelfth season within the league. One other member of Tight Finish U, Austin Hooper, heads east and joins the New England Patriots. A 3rd tight finish swapped groups, with Colby Parkinson becoming a member of Joshua Karty with the Los Angeles Rams.

Thomas Booker (Philadelphia Eagles), Andrus Peat (Las Vegas Raiders) and Casey Toohill (Buffalo Payments) additionally joined new squads within the offseason.