Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season gave former IU players a little bit of everything: a few starters logging heavy snaps, a handful of contributors on special teams, and several players stuck on the inactive list.
The biggest workload among the former Hoosiers belonged to Kahlil Benson, who started at left tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs and played 69 offensive snaps, plus five more on special teams. On the other side of the ball, Kaelon Black made the most of his chances for the San Francisco 49ers, handling 28 offensive snaps and turning them into 14 carries for 65 yards and one catch for 5 yards. CJ West also saw action for San Francisco, playing 23 defensive snaps and one on special teams while finishing with two tackles, including one solo.
Myles Price was busy for the Minnesota Vikings in the return game. He played three offensive snaps and nine special teams snaps, then piled up 179 kick return yards on five attempts and added 13 yards on one punt return. Riley Nowakowski chipped in for the Pittsburgh Steelers with eight offensive snaps and 17 special teams snaps, recording two tackles, one solo.
Omar Cooper, Jr. gave the New York Jets a quick spark before leaving the game injured. He played five offensive snaps, caught one pass for 30 yards, and then exited.
Marcelino McCrary-Ball also contributed for the Jets, logging five defensive snaps and 20 on special teams. He finished with a tackle and a forced fumble.
Several former IU players were active but didn’t record stats. Fernando Mendoza served as the backup quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders and did not play, while Ian Thomas played 31 offensive snaps for Las Vegas without showing up on the stat sheet. Micah McFadden was limited to 11 special teams snaps for the New York Giants and also had no stats.
There were also plenty of players who didn’t get on the field at all. Ke’Shawn Williams was inactive for the Cincinnati Bengals, Kurtis Rourke was inactive for the San Francisco 49ers, Aiden Fisher was inactive for the Houston Texans, and Elijah Sarratt was inactive for the Baltimore Ravens. D’Angelo Ponds was also inactive for the Jets.
Pat Coogan played two special teams snaps for the Tennessee Titans, while Luke Haggard appeared on five special teams snaps for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dan Feeney was a reserve offensive lineman for Tampa Bay and did not play.
The source also noted comments tied to a pair of plays involving former Hoosiers: one from the 49ers’ game about Kaelon Black, and another from the Jets’ game after Omar Cooper, Jr.’s injury.
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