The Iowa-to-NFL pipeline is loaded again entering the 2026 season, with 33 former Hawkeyes spread across 20 NFL teams on active 53-man rosters or injured reserve. Even more notable: nine rookies made it through final cuts and are set for their first taste of Week 1 action.
Pittsburgh leads the way among Hawkeye-heavy NFL homes, with four former Iowa players on its active/IR roster. Green Bay is next with three, and seven more teams carry two Hawkeyes apiece.
Week 1 gives fans plenty to track, starting with the rookies who cracked rosters and the established veterans who keep showing up on Sundays. Among the newcomers, Logan Jones is listed as a rookie center for the Bears, while Pittsburgh’s rookie trio features Gennings Dunker at offensive guard, Kaden Wetjen as a wide receiver/return specialist, and Yahya Black on the defensive line. The Steelers also have Logan Lee on injured reserve.
There are Hawkeyes scattered all over the schedule. Baltimore travels to Indianapolis on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 12:00 p.m.
CT with Jay Higgins at inside linebacker. Chicago opens at Carolina the same day and time with Jones and punter Tory Taylor.
Denver heads to Kansas City on Monday, Sept. 14 at 7:15 p.m. CT with Riley Moss at cornerback.
Detroit hosts New Orleans on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 12:00 p.m. CT with Sam LaPorta at tight end and Jack Campbell at linebacker.
The Rams face the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 7:35 p.m. CT with Alaric Jackson at offensive tackle.
Other Week 1 matchups include Miami at Las Vegas with James Daniels on injured reserve, Minnesota against Green Bay with T.J. Hockenson at tight end, the Giants against Dallas with Chauncey Golston at defensive end, the Jets at Tennessee with Dane Belton at safety, and the Saints at Detroit with Noah Fant at tight end.
Tampa Bay visits Cincinnati with Tristan Wirfs at offensive tackle and Anthony Nelson at outside linebacker/edge, while Tennessee hosts the Jets with Amani Hooker at safety. Washington goes to Philadelphia, where the Eagles list no former Hawkeyes in this rundown.
The full Hawkeye footprint also includes the Cardinals, Bengals, Packers, Eagles, 49ers, Seahawks and Commanders among the teams represented, even where no individual player was listed in this guide.
At the top of the storylines are the familiar names who keep making an impact. George Kittle remains an elite, bruising tight end for the 49ers.
Sam LaPorta continues his rise as one of the league’s most dangerous red-zone targets. T.J.
Hockenson made an immediate impact with Minnesota after arriving in 2022, and Noah Fant is now with New Orleans after moving there this spring.
Up front, Tristan Wirfs is still setting the standard in pass protection for Tampa Bay. The article also points to Kaleb Johnson’s fresh start with Green Bay, where Matt LaFleur’s outside-zone system is described as a strong fit for his game.
Defensively, Jack Campbell anchors the Lions with a hard-hitting, high-IQ presence. Riley Moss in Denver and Cooper DeJean in Philadelphia are highlighted for helping turn their secondaries into no-fly zones.
Special teams remains part of Iowa’s identity, too. Tory Taylor keeps changing field position for the Bears, and rookie return man Kaden Wetjen is being billed as a dangerous weapon for Pittsburgh any time he touches a kickoff or punt. The final rookie to make the cut is Commanders kicker Drew Stevens, an undrafted free agent who earned his roster spot.
In Other News...
Iowas Backfield Depth Is About To Face Its First Real Test
Iowas backfield is getting an early stress test, and it comes just one week into the season. Kirk Ferentz confirmed that running back L.J. Phillips will miss the Week 2 matchup against Iowa State because of a high ankle sprain, leaving the Hawkeyes to adjust after already opening the year without Tyler Brown.
The good news for Iowa is that the staff does not sound alarmed about the position groups overall outlook. Ferentz said the Hawkeyes have enough depth at running back and defensive back to handle the short-term absences, but the timing is still notable with a rivalry game next on the schedule. The bigger question now is how Iowa distributes the workload and whether the next man up can keep the offense on track until the injured players return. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Campbell Keeps Giving Iowa Fans Another Reason To Be Proud
Jack Campbells rise with the Detroit Lions has turned into the kind of NFL success story Iowa fans know how to claim as their own. After leaving Iowa as one of the programs most dependable linebackers, Campbell delivered a career-best 2025-2026 season in Detroit, finishing with 176 total tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles and four passes defended while stacking up major honors along the way.
The Lions rewarded that production with a four-year, $81 million contract extension after declining his fifth-year option, a sign of how quickly he has become one of the faces of their defense. Campbell also won the Dick Butkus Award, earned All-Pro recognition and was named a team captain for the 2026-2027 season, which only adds to the feeling that Iowa has another former star making the most of his next level opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Community Is Rallying Around A Hawkeye Band Members Family
The Iowa football season has already been shadowed by a painful moment that reached far beyond the field, as the Hawkeye community rallied around Derek Phillips, a three-year member of the Hawkeye Marching Band who collapsed during the Week 1 game and later was taken off life support. Phillips was remembered by those close to him as a phenomenal musician, and the response from the program has reflected just how deeply he was woven into the game-day experience in Iowa City.
Tributes have come from the Hawkeye Marching Band and from marching programs around the country, with performances dedicated to Phillips and messages of support pouring in for his family. A GoFundMe has been established to help them, underscoring how quickly a university band members loss can become a broader community story, one that has left teammates, peers and strangers searching for ways to show up in the aftermath. [Read more 🡒]