How former Rutgers Football players performed in the NFL's Week Two
The NFL’s second week of its season is in the books, after another full 16-game slate of games.
Here is how every former Rutgers standout performed in Week Two of NFL action.
Former Scarlet Knights currently on 53-man rosters
| PLAYER | POSITION | NFL TEAM (WEEK TWO RESULT) | WEEK TWO SNAPS (PER PFF) | WEEK TWO STATS |
| Isiah Pacheco | RB | Kansas City Chiefs (lost to Philadelphia Eagles) | 35 | 10 carries, 22 yards One reception, seven yards |
| Kyle Monangai | RB | Chicago Bears (lost to Detroit Lions) | 28 | Seven carries, 28 yards One reception, eight yards |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | DL | Tennessee Titans (lost to Los Angeles Rams) | 41 | One tackle, one QB hit |
| Max Melton | CB | Arizona Cardinals (defeated Carolina Panthers) | 13 | Two tackles |
| Bo Melton | CB | Green Bay Packers (defeated Washington Commanders) | 0 | DNP (Shoulder) |
| Eric Rogers | CB | Los Angeles Chargers (defeated Las Vegas Raiders) | 0 | DNP (On Injured Reserve) |
| Christian Braswell | CB | Jacksonville Jaguars (lost to Cincinnati Bengals) | 14 (All special teams) | No stats recorded |
| Christian Izien | S | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (defeated Houston Texans) | TBA | One tackle |
| Andrew DePaola | LS | Minnesota Vikings (lost to Atlanta Falcons) | 6 | No stats recorded |
| Mike Burton **Injured Reserve** | FB | Denver Broncos (lost to Indianapolis Colts) | 0 | DNP (On Injured Reserve) |
| Kyonte Hamilton **Injured Reserve** | DL | Houston Texans (lost to Tampa Bay Buccaneers) | 0 | DNP (On Injured Reserve) |
| Robert Longerbeam **Injured Reserve** | CB | Baltimore Ravens (defeated Cleveland Browns) | 0 | DNP (On Injured Reserve) |
Notable Knights
Several former Rutgers standouts made headlines during the week’s slate of games.
Kyle Monangai finally recorded his first career carry after only appearing in the stat sheet as a receiver in Chicago’s season-opener. One problem: The game was mostly in hand, and not in the Bears’ favor.
Chicago got trounced in head coach Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit, where his former boss Dan Campbell and the Lions came away victorious 52-21. Much of Monangai’s production came with the game already in hand and Johnson pulling the starters. The rookie running back worked with backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, and in their two drives, the Bears punted and ran out the clock.
Max Melton was looking to build off a solid season-opener, but his plans were derailed in the first quarter of the Cardinals’ near-disastrous win over the Carolina Panthers. Arizona led 27-3 at one point, but Carolina staged a comeback and nearly won the game on the final drive, certainly in no small part thanks to a litany of injuries to the Cardinals’ defense.
Melton injured his knee in the first quarter while chasing down Panthers rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. He had to be helped off the field and was later carted back to the locker room. Later in the game, Arizona lost two other starting cornerbacks – Garrett Williams and Will Johnson – due to injury. Head coach Jonathan Gannon gave no update on any of his injured defensive backs during his Monday press conference.
Isiah Pacheco again dealt with a backfield committee as the Chiefs fell to 0-2 in the Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles. Kansas City’s offense – even with Patrick Mahomes – has struggled, with the run game playing no small part in those troubles. Mahomes leads the team in rushing through two games.
Christian Izien made his season debut on Monday Night Football, as the Buccaneers staged a comeback victory on the road against the Houston Texans. After missing the season opener with an oblique injury, he made a key tackle while on punt duty and saw his first defensive action of the year.
Bonus: Knights on the call
While Rutgers’ top era of players in the NFL in the 2010s and 2020s has passed with several standouts retiring, a few of those players have found the next stage of their careers, still staying involved by broadcasting the sport.
Jason McCourty was among the four analysts for whom ESPN announced contract extensions on Monday. The press release from the network read:
“McCourty, who won Super Bowl LIII with the New England Patriots, enters his second year at ESPN. The 13-year NFL defensive veteran will regularly appear on Tuesdays and Thursdays across Get Up, First Take, NFL Live and SportsCenter during the season. Beyond his ESPN role, McCourty will also maintain his position as an NFL game analyst for CBS, a role he has held since 2023.”
He had previously worked with the NFL Network and as the previously mentioned game analyst for CBS.
Devin McCourty entered his third year with NBC, featuring on Football Night in America in-studio alongside Maria Taylor, Tony Dungy, and Jason Garrett. He has become a staple of the pre-Sunday Night Football broadcasts, and has increased his reach since retiring in 2023. He has also featured as a go-to with Boston media from his playing days with the Patriots, and was a guest on Up & Adams with Kay Adams on Monday.
Logan Ryan got the big-time gig with CBS Sports this season, following a year of calling college football in 2024. He has featured on two NFL broadcasts so far on the year, the most recent being a wild Cincinnati Bengals victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ryan was on the call with Chris Lewis and Tiffany Blackmon on the sideline.
His first game last week was in Phoenix, where he and Ross Tucker worked as the analysts with former Rutgers radio voice Tom McCarthy, along with Blackmon as the sideline reporter, as the Cardinals defeated the New Orleans Saints to open the year.
💬 Wondering what other Rutgers fans are saying?
Head to The Round Table and jump into the discussion →
