Pack Pros: LB Payton Wilson, QB Russell Wilson impress in Week 2 of NFL action

It was a good day to be a Pack Pro with the last name Wilson this weekend in the NFL. Both former NC State linebacker Payton Wilson and quarterback Russell Wilson posted career-best performances in Week 2 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, respectively. 

Payton Wilson tied his career-best with 10 total tackles, including his first-ever NFL sack, in the Steelers’ 31-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He was able to rack up eight solo stops to pace the Pittsburgh defense in the team’s first loss of the season.

While the linebacker did what he could against the Seahawks, Russell Wilson appeared to be in his early-career form in a 40-37 overtime shootout loss at the Dallas Cowboys. The signal-caller was 30-of-41 passing for a career-best 450 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. 

The quarterback displayed his trademarked “moon ball” with a 48-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds remaining to put the Giants ahead, but New York’s defense couldn’t stop Dallas from tying the game at the buzzer before the Cowboys won on a walk-off field goal in overtime. 

Wilson’s passing performance marked just his second 400-plus-yard effort in the past six years. He threw for 414 yards in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals with the Pittsburgh Steelers last December, but before that, his previous such game was a 406-yard showing in September 2022. 

While the two Wilsons — no relation — had career-best games this past weekend, they weren’t the only Pack Pros in action. Here’s a look at how NC State’s two dozen former players fared this week in their respective NFL games.

Pack Pros: NFL Week 2

OT Anthony Belton (played at NC State from 2021-2024), #71 Green Bay Packers: Belton earned his first-career start in just his second NFL game as he played right tackle in the Packers’ 27-18 win over the Washington Commanders. He did not allow a quarterback pressure in 51 total offensive snaps played in his first consistent action of his professional career. 

C Garrett Bradbury (2014-18), #65 New England Patriots: Bradbury earned the start at center as the Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins 33-27. He played 60 total snaps and did not record a pressure allowed to earn a near-elite 84.8 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in the victory.

QB Jacoby Brissett (2014-15), #7 Arizona Cardinals: Brissett logged one carry for two yards in the Cardinals’ 27-22 win over the Carolina Panthers. That was the only snap he played in the victory. 

OLB Bradley Chubb (2014-17), #2 Miami Dolphins: Chubb posted five total tackles, including three solo stops, in the Dolphins’ 33-27 loss to the New England Patriots. He also posted a sack, his second of the year, in his return from a torn ACL suffered in the 2023 campaign.

P A.J. Cole III (2015-18), #6 Las Vegas Raiders: Cole attempted just two punts for 114 yards in the Raiders’ 20-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. He averaged 57 yards per attempt with one kick inside the 20-yard line and a long of 60 in the loss.

DL Cory Durden (2021-22), #94 New England Patriots: Durden recorded one tackle in the Patriots’ 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins in seven total snaps played. 

OT Ikem Ekwonu (2019-21), #79 Carolina Panthers: Ekwonu played 87 total snaps in the Panthers’ 27-22 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He allowed eight total quarterback pressures, which led to six hurries and two hits, in his first action of the 2025 season after recovering from an emergency appendectomy.

DL B.J. Hill Jr. (2014-17), #92 Cincinnati Bengals: Hill logged two total tackles in the Bengals’ 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

RB Nyheim Miller-Hines (2015-17), #31 Los Angeles Chargers: Miller-Hines, a member of the Chargers’ practice squad, did not play in the team’s 20-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football.

S Tanner Ingle (2018-22), #34 Los Angeles Rams: Ingle did not play in the Rams’ 33-19 win over the Tennessee Titans. He is on Los Angeles’ practice squad.

DT Justin Jones (2014-17), #93 Arizona Cardinals: Jones was placed on the Cardinals’ injured reserve with a knee injury in August. He is not eligible to return to practice until after the team’s Week 4 game against the Seattle Seahawks. 

RB Zonovan Knight (2019-21), #35 Arizona Cardinals: Knight made his 2025 season debut with six total return snaps in the Cardinals’ 27-22 win over the Carolina Panthers. He logged two kick returns for 43 yards, averaging 21.5 per attempt, with a long of 23 in the victory. 

OL Tim McKay (2019-2024), #68 Washington Commanders: McKay did not play in the Washington Commanders’ 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He’s on the team’s practice squad.

OL Dylan McMahon (2019-23), #63 Los Angeles Rams: McMahon, a practice squad player, did not play in the Rams’ 33-19 win over the Tennessee Titans.

DT Alim McNeill (2018-20), #54 Detroit Lions: McNeill began his fifth NFL season recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 15 of the 2024 season. The Lions expect the defensive lineman to make his return to the field in season.

WR Jakobi Meyers (2016-18), #16 Las Vegas Raiders: Meyers logged six receptions for a team-leading 68 yards in the Raiders’ 20-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. He had a long of 25 yards, while he was also targeted 12 times.

DT Larrell Murchison (2018-19), #52 Los Angeles Rams: Murchison logged one total tackle in the Rams’ 33-19 win over the Tennessee Titans. He played a total of 18 snaps in the victory.

LB Germaine Pratt (2014-18), #57 Las Vegas Raiders: Pratt recorded seven total tackles, including five solo stops, in the Raiders’ 20-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. He also added a pair of passes defended in the defeat.

DL Kentavius Street (2014-17), #93 Atlanta Falcons: Street, who’s on the Falcons’ practice squad, did not play in the team’s 22-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football.

LB Drake Thomas (2019-22), #42 Seattle Seahawks: Thomas played 26 total snaps in the Seahawks’ 31-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He did not record a tackle in the victory between his action on defense and special teams.

OL Joe Thuney (2011-15), #62 Chicago Bears: Thuney played 65 total snaps in the Bears’ 52-21 loss to the Detroit Lions. He did not allow a quarterback pressure in the defeat.

LB Payton Wilson (2018-23), #41 Pittsburgh Steelers: Wilson tied his career high with 10 total tackles, including eight solo stops, in the Steelers’ 31-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He recorded his first-ever NFL sack, while he added another quarterback hit in the defeat.

QB Russell Wilson (2007-10, finished at Wisconsin), #3 New York Giants: Wilson threw for a career-best 450 passing yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the Giants’ 40-37 overtime loss at the Dallas Cowboys. He completed 30 of his 41 passes, while being sacked three times for a loss of 28 yards in the defeat.

OL Chandler Zavala (2021-22), #62 Carolina Panthers: Zavala played 22 total snaps in the Panthers’ 27-22 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at right guard. He allowed three total quarterback pressures, which led to two hurries and a sack, in the defeat.