Christian McCaffrey made the biggest headline of the Stanford NFL week, but he wasn’t the only former Cardinal who left a mark in Week 9. From Jacksonville’s dominant win to a handful of players stepping back into action after injuries, Stanford alumni were scattered across the league and several turned in notable performances.
McCaffrey helped the 49ers beat the Raiders 38-17 and etched his name into NFL history in the process. He ran 18 times for 68 yards and added two catches for 19 yards, but the defining moments came in the end zone.
McCaffrey opened the scoring with a one-yard rushing touchdown, then added a 12-yard receiving touchdown in the second quarter. That gave him 37 career receiving touchdowns, the most by a running back in the Super Bowl era, passing Marshall Faulk.
Walker Little delivered one of the cleanest outings of the week in Jacksonville’s 33-10 win over Baltimore. Starting at left tackle, he played all 56 snaps and earned the Jaguars’ top overall offensive grade at 91.6, according to PFF. He also posted a 95.3 run-blocking grade, the best on the team, and finished as the top offensive lineman in the NFL in both overall offensive grade and run-blocking grade for Week 9.
The Rams also got a boost from a returning Cardinal in their 20-13 win over Washington. Colby Parkinson was back in the lineup and started at tight end, finishing second on the team with four catches for 13 yards. Joshua Karty handled kickoff duties as well, sending off four kickoffs and helping limit Washington to an average of 21.0 yards per return.
A few other former Stanford players returned from injury and got right back into the mix. Justin Reid started at safety for New Orleans in the Saints’ 23-22 loss to Cleveland, playing 56 snaps and finishing with seven tackles, including three solo stops, plus a tackle-for-loss. Davis Mills saw his first game action of 2026 for Houston in the Texans’ 44-22 win over the Chargers, entering in the fourth quarter and completing a seven-yard pass to Tank Dell to help set up a field goal.
The Cardinals had a mix of production and a tough injury note in Seattle’s 17-3 win over Arizona. Michael Wilson led the team in receiving with six catches for 60 yards, but he also suffered a neck injury and will miss the rest of the season. Elijah Higgins, one of Arizona’s starting tight ends, caught both of his targets for 11 yards, while Simi Fehoko played 26 offensive snaps at wide receiver and added one special teams tackle.
There were other Stanford names across the slate, too. Jake Bailey punted three times for Atlanta in the Falcons’ 34-17 loss to Cincinnati, averaging 45.3 yards and placing two kicks inside the 20 while also holding on two field goals and two extra points.
Austin Hooper played five snaps in the second-ever NFL game in Spain. Harrison Phillips started at defensive tackle for the Jets in their 35-12 loss to Kansas City and recorded one tackle.
Paulson Adebo was on the field for five special teams snaps in the Giants’ 19-11 win over Philadelphia.
Brycen Tremayne logged 37 snaps for Carolina in Denver’s 26-21 win, including 21 at wide receiver. Dalton Schultz started at tight end for Houston and caught two passes for 42 yards, the only Texans tight end to make a catch on Sunday. And in Chicago’s 27-24 win over Tampa Bay, the Bears’ Stanford tight end played 32 snaps and caught both of his targets for 23 yards, including an 18-yard grab, marking his first NFL game with multiple receptions and a career-high in receiving yards.
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Stanfords Fast Start Faces Its First Real Test In Las Vegas
Stanfords 3-0 start gets a sharper spotlight in Las Vegas on Nov. 13, when the Cardinal meet UNLV in a matchup that will be available on CBS Sports Network and across radio platforms. It is a useful early measuring stick for a team that has opened the season with momentum and has leaned on Nick Townsend, whose all-around production has been central to the fast start.
Kyle Smith has already given Stanford a steadier national profile, guiding the program to postseason appearances and NBA draft selections in recent years, and this trip offers another chance to see how far the Cardinal have come. Away from home and against a familiar opponent, Stanford will find out whether its early rhythm can travel before the schedule gets any less demanding. [Read more 🡒]