Preseason is over, the 53-man rosters are locked in, and a fresh wave of former Oregon Ducks are set to open the 2026 NFL season on Sept. 9. Sunday’s cutdown deadline brought good news for several ex-Ducks, including a full class of 2026 draft picks making it through to their teams’ final rosters.
The headliners are the names Oregon fans already know by heart. Justin Herbert is back with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Bo Nix made the Denver Broncos’ initial 53-man roster. Those two were the clearest established stars among the former Ducks who survived roster cuts.
There were also a couple of Ducks who landed on injured reserve/PUP. Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Green Bay Packers cornerback Jordon Riley are both in that group.
Not every familiar name made it through Sunday cleanly. Washington Commanders outside linebacker DJ Johnson and Carolina Panthers cornerback Troy Hill were among the former Ducks left off their teams’ 53-man rosters.
The rookie class, though, came through in full. All seven former Ducks selected in the 2026 NFL Draft earned spots on their teams’ final rosters.
One of the rookies who helped himself most in August was linebacker Bryce Boettcher. With the Colts, he logged preseason action against the New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions, and his game showed up exactly where it was supposed to: in the physical stuff. He delivered hard hits and played with plenty of toughness at linebacker.
Boettcher saved his best for last in Indianapolis’ 25-16 loss to the Lions on Saturday, finishing with six tackles and a forced fumble. Across the three preseason games, he piled up 10 total tackles and that forced fumble.
Dillon Thieneman, the first-round pick and No. 25 overall selection by the Chicago Bears, also made his case during the preseason. He got looks against the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans, and while it wasn’t spotless, there were enough flashes to remind everyone why he went so high.
His strongest showing came in the Bears’ 24-15 win over the Titans, where he covered former Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate well. That’s the kind of play Thieneman will want to carry into the regular season.
His lone year in Eugene gave the Bears plenty to like, too. Thieneman finished the 2025 season with Oregon with 92 total tackles, two interceptions and one sack.
Kenyon Sadiq, the former Ducks tight end and No. 16 overall pick, didn’t take the field in the preseason for the New York Jets while he recovered from a sports hernia procedure. Even so, he remains a rookie to watch, especially for a Jets fanbase hungry for wins. Sadiq closed his Oregon career by winning Big Ten Tight End of the Year and posting 51 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns.
Not every Ducks rookie got the same result. Running back Noah Whittington, who signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent, missed the roster cut despite showing some encouraging signs in the preseason. In Houston’s 27-7 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, he led the Texans on the ground with 13 carries for 40 yards.
Now Whittington’s next step is up in the air. He was not on the Texans’ 53-man roster, and his path could lead to the practice squad, another NFL opportunity, or a move to a different league. Over six collegiate seasons split between Western Kentucky and Oregon, Whittington ran for 2,950 yards and 21 touchdowns on 523 carries.
In Other News...
Oregon Just Got Another Reason To Believe This Team Is Different
Oregon is heading into the 2026 season with a national spotlight it has earned, not inherited. The Ducks open at No. 2 in the AP poll and, according to ESPNs Top-100 college football players, they also have eight players on the list, more than any other FBS team. That kind of depth is usually what separates contenders from the pack, and it starts with quarterback Dante Moore sitting at No. 11, followed by defensive tackle AMauri Washington at No. 16 and cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. at No. 24.
What makes the number even more striking is how much star power it hints at on both sides of the ball. Oregon is not leaning on one elite name to carry the burden, and that gives the Ducks a different kind of credibility as the season approaches. The rankings are only a snapshot, of course, but for a program trying to prove it can stay at the front of the sport, this is the sort of recognition that suggests the roster is built to last. [Read more 🡒]
Dillon Gabriels NFL Debut Just Hit A Frustrating Early Roadblock
Dillon Gabriels first NFL season has already been forced into an unexpected pause, with the Browns planning to open the year by placing the former Oregon quarterback on injured reserve because of a back injury he sustained in the preseason finale against New England. The move, finalized as Cleveland trimmed to its 53-player roster, means Gabriel will miss the first four games even after turning in a strong performance in that last preseason outing.
For Gabriel, the timing is especially frustrating because the injury arrived just as he was trying to finish camp on a high note and secure his place in Clevelands quarterback room. Rookie Taylen Green made the team as the third quarterback, leaving the Browns to navigate the early part of the season without Gabriel, who said the preseason brought plenty of challenges but also gave him encouragement from how he played before the setback. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Commit Tae Walden Jr. Is Showing Difference-Maker Potential
Tae Walden Jr. has already built the kind of high school tape that makes a college staff lean in and keep watching. The four-star Oregon cornerback commit has stood out for Collierville with his speed and knack for making things happen, and the Dragons have even found ways to get him involved on offense, including in wildcat looks, a sign of how much they trust him with the ball in his hands.
For Oregon, the intrigue goes beyond the athletic flashes. Walden is expected to settle in at cornerback in Eugene, where his raw tools could give the Ducks a real difference-maker down the line, even if he starts out more as a developmental piece than an immediate answer. The fact that several major programs pushed for him before he committed only adds to the sense that Oregon may have landed a player whose best football is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]