Week 4 of the 2026 NFL season delivered a little bit of everything for Penn State’s pro pipeline: a trade, a few touchdowns, some disruptive pass rush, and a tough injury update on one of the program’s biggest stars.
The biggest roster shakeup involved Joey Porter Jr., whose season had already been defined by a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers and missed time because of a back injury. That situation finally got sorted out when Pittsburgh sent him to the Dallas Cowboys in a deal for two draft picks. Once the trade went through, Porter was healthy enough to get back on the field.
Penn State’s reputation for producing tight ends showed up again in a big way. Pat Freiermuth of the Steelers, Mike Gesicki of the Cincinnati Bengals and Theo Johnson of the New York Giants all found the end zone in Week 4. Jacksonville’s Brenton Strange also had a strong afternoon, finishing with seven catches for 95 yards.
On defense, two former Nittany Lion teammates turned in a productive day as pass rushers. Giants outside linebacker Abdul Carter and Miami Dolphins edge rusher Chop Robinson, both first-round picks, had been quiet for stretches this season, but Sunday brought a different level of activity. Carter and Robinson combined for 14 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
There was also a special-teams note worth mentioning. Chris Stoll of the Seattle Seahawks doesn’t get many chances to show up in the box score, but he set a career high with 13 snaps in Seattle’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Not everything was positive, though. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley left his team’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter with a hamstring injury, and it appears he’ll be out for a while.
Penn State had 38 former players in action in Week 3. Going into Week 4, there were 51 Nittany Lions in NFL organizations, with 40 on active rosters.
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Penn States Transfer-Heavy Roster Faces A Bigger Big Ten Problem
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