Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season turned into another showcase for Oregon’s pipeline, with three former Ducks making major plays that swung games on Sunday.
Kenyon Sadiq delivered the biggest stat line of the group in the New York Jets’ 31-24 road loss to the Detroit Lions. The former Oregon tight end, selected No. 16 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, caught seven passes for 105 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown. That kind of outing only adds to the buzz around a player who finished his college career as the Big Ten Tight End of the Year and piled up 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns at Oregon.
The result, though, left the Jets with plenty to sort through. They opened the season by beating the Tennessee Titans, but have since dropped back-to-back games to the Green Bay Packers and the Lions, falling to 1-2 before heading to Chicago to face the Bears.
Pittsburgh got a much happier ending, and Derrick Harmon was right in the middle of it. The former Ducks defensive tackle came up with a strip-sack of Joe Burrow in the final minute to help the Steelers escape with a 30-27 home win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Harmon, taken No. 21 overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has become a key part of Pittsburgh’s defense.
His Oregon stop was brief but productive. After three seasons at Michigan State, Harmon transferred to Oregon in 2024 and spent one year in Eugene, finishing with 45 total tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles.
The Steelers moved to 2-1 with the win, and the AFC North remains a tight race with every team sitting at 2-1 through three weeks. The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns also pulled out down-to-the-wire victories on Sunday.
Jevon Holland added another Oregon-made play in New York, this time on the defensive side for the Giants. Holland picked off a pass to seal the Giants’ 12-7 home win over the Tennessee Titans, finishing with two total tackles to go along with the interception.
Before becoming one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL, Holland spent four seasons with the Miami Dolphins from 2021 to 2024. He entered the league as the No. 36 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft after two seasons with Oregon, where he recorded 108 total tackles.
The Giants are also sitting at 2-1 after Week 3, even after losing quarterback Jaxson Dart to a season-ending knee injury.
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Oregon Just Sent Lincoln Rileys USC Problem Into Overdrive
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Marcus Mariota Just Gave Ducks Fans A Reason To Pay Attention
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Mariota completed 19 of 31 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns, a line that will resonate with Ducks fans who still keep one eye on his NFL stops. Seattle got big production from Sam Darnold in his return from injury, as he threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns, but also turned it over twice, leaving Mariota and Washington with the final edge in a high-scoring finish. [Read more 🡒]