NFL Conference Championships Set - And a Former Buckeye Is Guaranteed a Super Bowl Ring
We’re down to four. The NFL’s Conference Championship weekend is locked in, and with it comes a unique twist for fans of Ohio State football - no matter who wins Super Bowl LX, a former Buckeye will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. It’ll mark the second consecutive season that a product of Columbus walks away with the league’s ultimate prize.
And this year, it’s not just about players. Mike Vrabel, in his first season as head coach of the New England Patriots, has a chance to make history.
If the Patriots run the table, Vrabel would become the first former Ohio State player to win a Super Bowl as a head coach. The closest the Buckeyes have come before?
Sid Gillman, who led the San Diego Chargers to an AFL Championship back in 1963 - before the NFL-AFL merger.
Let’s break it down: New England leads the way in Buckeye representation with two players and a head coach. The Los Angeles Rams also feature two Ohio State alums, while the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks each carry one former Buckeye on their roster. So whether you’re rooting for a player, a team, or just hoping to see scarlet and gray represented on the sport’s biggest stage - your wish is already halfway granted.
But among those Buckeyes still in the hunt, two names stand out for what they’ve done this season and what a Super Bowl win would mean for their careers.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: The Seahawks’ Star is Just Getting Started
Let’s start in Seattle, where Jaxon Smith-Njigba has taken his game - and the Seahawks’ passing attack - to another level.
Smith-Njigba has been electric this season, racking up nearly 1,800 receiving yards and continuing his evolution into one of the league’s most dangerous weapons. After a quieter rookie campaign in 2023, JSN has now posted back-to-back 100-catch seasons in 2024 and 2025. That kind of production doesn’t just happen - it’s the result of elite route-running, chemistry with quarterback Sam Darnold, and a clear shift in Seattle’s offensive identity.
The emergence of Smith-Njigba as a true WR1 gave the Seahawks the confidence to move on from D.K. Metcalf, who was traded to Pittsburgh in the offseason.
That’s not a decision you make lightly. But JSN has rewarded that faith with All-Pro caliber play, and now he’s just one win away from the Super Bowl.
For longtime Buckeye fans, it’s especially gratifying to see Smith-Njigba thriving after what could’ve been a lost final year in college. Everyone remembers his record-breaking Rose Bowl performance at the end of the 2021 season - 15 catches, 347 yards, and a game that felt like a passing of the torch.
Expectations were sky-high heading into 2022, but a Week 1 injury against Notre Dame derailed his junior year. He played in just three games that season and missed the College Football Playoff showdown with Georgia.
Now, he’s rewriting his story in the NFL.
If Smith-Njigba helps Seattle bring home a title, it’s hard to argue against his place among the league’s elite receivers. A Super Bowl ring on top of one of the best statistical seasons in recent memory?
That’s rarefied air - and he won’t even turn 24 until a few days after the big game. The ceiling?
Still rising.
TreVeyon Henderson: From Buckeye Backfield to Patriots Playmaker
On the other side of the bracket, TreVeyon Henderson is making a strong case for Rookie of the Year consideration - and potentially a Super Bowl ring.
Henderson’s first NFL season in New England has been everything the Patriots could’ve hoped for and more. He racked up 911 rushing yards on 180 carries, averaging 5.1 yards per attempt. Add in nine touchdowns and 45 first downs on the ground, plus another 221 receiving yards and a score through the air, and you’ve got a rookie campaign that turned heads across the league.
For Buckeye fans, Henderson’s breakout isn’t a surprise - it’s a return to form. He arrived at Ohio State with five-star hype and delivered early, but injuries and inconsistency made his sophomore and junior seasons a bit of a rollercoaster. By choosing to come back for his senior year, Henderson helped power one of the most balanced and explosive Ohio State offenses in recent memory.
Now, he’s doing the same in Foxborough - and he’s doing it while sharing a backfield with Rhamondre Stevenson, a proven veteran. Henderson’s burst, vision, and ability to make defenders miss have made him a perfect fit in New England’s evolving offense.
And of course, there’s the Vrabel factor. The former Buckeye linebacker has brought a new energy to the Patriots in his first season as head coach, and his fingerprints are all over this team’s identity. If New England wins it all, it won’t just be a ring for Henderson - it’ll be one for Vrabel and offensive lineman Thayer Munford Jr. as well.
For some fans, rooting for the Patriots might still feel a little… uncomfortable. Years of Tom Brady dominance - and his Michigan ties - left a mark.
But this version of the Patriots is different. It’s younger, grittier, and full of Buckeye DNA.
No Matter Who Wins, Ohio State Wins Too
So here we are, with four teams left and Buckeyes on each sideline. Whether you’re pulling for Smith-Njigba’s rise to stardom in Seattle, Henderson’s redemption arc in New England, or just hoping to see more scarlet and gray shine on Super Bowl Sunday, one thing’s for sure - Ohio State’s NFL pipeline is alive and thriving.
And in a few weeks, one of these former Buckeyes will be able to say what every football player dreams of: I'm a Super Bowl champion.