A few former Cal players made it through NFL cutdown day with their jobs intact, but the bigger story for the ex-Golden Bears on the bubble was a rough one: none of the nine who were truly fighting for a 53-man roster spot managed to stick.
Some are still likely to land on practice squads. Others may end up elsewhere soon. And one of the more unusual situations belongs to Brent “Paco” Austin, who now has a decision to weigh after the Broncos let him go.
Austin, a cornerback who arrived as an undrafted free agent, was one of Denver’s final cuts on Sunday. Recent court rulings could give him a path back to college football, though the four power conferences - ACC, Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 - have all banned players from returning to college after joining a pro team.
Whether the court rulings override those conference rules is still unresolved. Austin could challenge that.
He could return to Cal, but after general manager Ron Rivera announced his vehement objection to the ruling that allow a few pro players to return to college this year, it seems unlikely the Bears would try to get Austin back.
Jacob De Jesus also went down to the wire before being released by the Chiefs. The wide receiver’s best route onto the roster was as a punt returner, and he handled that role well enough in the preseason.
But Kansas City already has Nikko Remigio, another former Cal and Fresno State standout, in that spot. De Jesus’ 5-foot-6 frame likely worked against him, even though he set a Cal record with 107 catches for the Bears in 2025.
At linebacker, Sirmon flashed enough to create some hope. His 11 tackles in one preseason game, plus the fact that his father, Peter Sirmon, coaches the Saints linebackers, seemed to open a real door for him.
It still wasn’t enough. Sirmon has appeared in just one NFL game, which came last season with the Jets.
Ashtyn Davis’ release qualifies as a mild surprise. The safety has started 34 games over six NFL seasons, and the 49ers had a clear need at the position.
Still, San Francisco chose to keep only four safeties, with Malik Mustapha expected back from injury for the opener. Davis should catch on with another team.
Another safety, McMorris, was always facing a steep climb. He was competing with Davis and others, and injuries have repeatedly interrupted his pro career. His only regular-season action came in six games for the Dolphins in 2024.
Goode also came up short with Miami, extending a frustrating run. He missed the Dolphins’ regular-season roster for the fourth straight year, though his 37 games of NFL experience could still make him an appealing option for another team.
Scott’s case had some sentiment attached to it. The safety was a fifth-round pick by the Colts in 2023, but injuries wiped out his first two NFL seasons. He finally made Indianapolis’ roster to open the 2025 season, only to suffer a season-ending injury in the fourth game.
Bollers, a defensive lineman who went undrafted in the 2026 NFL draft, lasted deep into the preseason before being released.
Curhan, meanwhile, had been brought back by the Panthers in early August, but he still didn’t crack the regular-season roster. Even so, his résumé is solid: 52 NFL games and 12 starts over five years.
Not every former Cal player on the list had bad news. Harris was never really in danger of missing Tennessee’s roster, and he’s expected to start at nickel back for the Titans. His real surprise came last year, when he made the roster as a sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft and wound up starting five games.
Tonges was also safe from the start. The Niners made room for four tight ends, and his role from last season made his place on the roster a given.
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