Chris Bell’s climb back onto the field ended with a spot on the Miami Dolphins’ 53-man roster, and he was one of 13 former Louisville players to survive the NFL’s cutdown deadline.
Bell was activated off the non-football injury list a little less than two weeks before the league’s 6 p.m. Sunday deadline, and Miami kept the former Cardinals receiver as part of its roster trim.
The Dolphins drafted Bell in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and he spent the offseason working his way back from a torn ACL suffered against SMU last November. He’s listed as a second-string receiver on Miami’s depth chart.
“Chris is progressing nicely," Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said of Bell on Aug. 7, according to an article from the Miami Herald. "You saw him run yesterday.
He’s accelerating. He’s decelerating.
He’s able to cut. I think that’s a credit to Chris how hard he’s worked.
We want to be certain that he’s ready so he does not have setbacks early in his career.”
Bell wasn’t the only former Cardinal to land on an active roster. Several others made the cut across the league, while a few ended up on reserve lists or the physically unable to perform list.
Cornerback Storm Duck with the Dolphins and running back Isac Guerendo with the San Francisco 49ers were placed on the PUP list. Defensive lineman Rene Konga with Miami and wide receiver Jamari Thrash with the Cleveland Browns were on reserve lists.
Among the Louisville alumni who made 53-man rosters, Tutu Atwell is back with the Los Angeles Rams after a brief stint in Miami, and he’ll wear No. 8 this season after previously wearing No. 5, which belonged to Kamren Kinchens. Atwell is coming off a 2025 season in which he had 192 yards and a touchdown on six catches in 10 games.
Wesley Bailey, an undrafted free agent, earned his place with the Rams after strong preseason showings against the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints.
Jarvis Brownlee is now with the New York Jets after being drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2024 and later traded last season. In his first year in New York, he posted 36 tackles and a forced fumble over seven games.
Kei'Trel Clark enters his fourth season with the Arizona Cardinals after finishing last year with 25 tackles and one start across 14 games.
Yaya Diaby has settled in as a starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the past two seasons, and in 2025 he finished with 50 tackles and seven sacks.
Ashton Gilotte, a former third-round pick, turned in 38 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception in his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bryan Hudson, who went undrafted and spent time on the practice squads of the New England Patriots and Giants, appears to have locked up the backup center job with New York after taking advantage of his chances in camp.
Lamar Jackson is back for Year 9 with the Baltimore Ravens and will do it under a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle after Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and the team parted ways. Last season, Jackson threw for 2,549 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and he added 349 rushing yards and two more scores, a career-low total on the ground.
Sheldon Rankins and the Houston Texans agreed in March on a two-year deal with $12 million guaranteed. Last season, he started for Houston and had 35 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery.
Mark Redman was traded by the Los Angeles Rams to the Green Bay Packers for a 2028 second-round pick after spending last season on the Rams’ practice squad. He originally signed with Los Angeles as a free agent last year.
Quincy Riley made five starts in 17 games for the New Orleans Saints as a rookie and finished with 29 tackles and an interception.
Tyler Shough also made the Saints’ roster after taking over as New Orleans’ starting quarterback last season. He completed 221 of 327 passes for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, finishing with a 91.3 passer rating.
In Other News...
Louisville Just Set Up A Brutal Early Test For Its Ceiling
Louisvilles 2026-27 mens basketball schedule is taking shape, and it already looks like the kind of non-conference slate that can tell fans plenty about where the Cardinals stand before ACC play begins. The season starts with exhibition games in October and then a Nov. 2 opener, but the real exam arrives quickly with a schedule loaded with Power Four opponents, NCAA Tournament teams and national-stage events like the Players Era 16 Tournament and the ACC/SEC Challenge.
The headliners are the ones that will draw the most attention, with Michigan, Kentucky and Baylor all on the docket, along with a trip through the kind of early slate that can expose flaws or confirm upside in a hurry. For a Louisville team trying to measure its ceiling, there will be little mystery about the level of competition, only the harder question of how the Cardinals respond when the calendar gets demanding right away. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Has A Real Shot To Flip A Week 1 Statement Game
The first full weekend of the college football season brings a handful of games with real upset potential, and Louisville is right in the middle of that conversation. Between roster turnover, new faces in key spots and the uncertainty that always comes with opening week, the Cardinals' trip is one of those matchups that can say a lot about where a team stands before September really gets going.
There is also a clear quarterback storyline hanging over the game, with Louisville expected to lean heavily on Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz as it tries to settle in on offense. The setting only adds to the stakes, with a neutral-site stage in Nashville and a top-10 opponent waiting, which makes this the kind of early test that can shape a team's confidence quickly if it goes the right way. [Read more 🡒]
Isaac Brown Just Changed The Feel Of Louisvilles Ole Miss Opener
The biggest question hanging over Louisvilles season opener against Ole Miss has been the status of Isaac Brown, and the answer now appears to be trending in the Cardinals favor. Jeff Brohm said the star running back has turned in a good camp, is ready to go and is expected to be part of the plan when Louisville takes the field in a game that will say plenty about where the program stands right away.
Browns availability matters because he is viewed as one of the top running backs in the country, and Louisvilles offense will need every edge it can get against a tough early test. The concern earlier in fall camp briefly clouded the matchup, but Browns return to full participation gives the Cardinals a much more dangerous look as they head into the opener. [Read more 🡒]