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Red Raiders in the NFL: Preseason Week 1
August 12, 2026 | Football
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech has 24 former players on NFL rosters entering the first weekend of the 2026 NFL preseason, spearheaded by a program-best nine Red Raiders selected in the NFL Draft this past April.
Of the 32 NFL franchises, Texas Tech is represented on 17, with the Miami Dolphins featuring the most former Red Raiders on a single roster with three. The Dolphins drafted a pair of Red Raiders in this year's draft, selecting linebacker Jacob Rodriguez in the second round (No. 43 overall) and wide receiver Caleb Douglas in the third round (No. 75 overall), while All-Pro linebacker Jordyn Brooks returns for his seventh NFL season.
Two of the nine draft picks got their first taste of NFL action in the annual Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6, as the Carolina Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 33-30. Wide receiver Reggie Virgil, a fifth-round pick by the Cardinals, led Arizona with five receptions for 66 yards on six targets. Safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, a fourth-round selection by the Cardinals in the 2024 draft, also saw action as he enters his third NFL season. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Lee Hunter, a second-round pick (No. 49 overall) by the Panthers, played 20 snaps and recorded one tackle.
While NFL rosters boast nine Red Raider rookies, three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes II is the most veteran former Red Raider as he enters his 10th NFL season as the Kansas City Chiefs' signal-caller. Behind Mahomes, Brooks and offensive tackle Terence Steele (Dallas) are both entering their seventh NFL seasons.
Under the NFL calendar, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List by 6 p.m. New York time on Aug. 30, meaning there are no mandatory cuts prior to the three-game NFL preseason schedule concluding. Beginning Aug. 31, franchises may begin establishing practice squads of 17 players. The final day of preseason training camp for all clubs is Sept. 6, while NFL Kickoff Weekend is Sept. 9-14.
RED RAIDERS IN THE NFL
The names below reflect what is listed across all 32 official NFL rosters as of Monday, Aug. 10
Miami Dolphins
ILB, #20, Jordyn Brooks (7)
WR, #7, Caleb Douglas (R)
ILB, #10, Jacob Rodriguez (R)
New England Patriots
QB, #15, Behren Morton (R)
New York Jets
P, #14, Austin McNamara (2)
EDGE, #31, David Bailey (R)
Baltimore Ravens
DL, #96, Broderick Washington Jr. (7)
Cincinnati Bengals
HB, #25, Tahj Brooks (2)
CB, #21, Bralyn Lux (1)
Houston Texans
WR, #85, Josh Kelly (1)
Kansas City Chiefs
QB, #15, Patrick Mahomes II (10)
Las Vegas Raiders
OG, #76, Caleb Rogers (2)
Dallas Cowboys
OT, #78, Terence Steele (7)
Philadelphia Eagles
WR, #49, Erik Ezukanma (3)
S, #21, Cole Wisniewski (R)
Washington Commanders
S, #18, Tyler Owens (3)
Detroit Lions
DL, #50, Skyler Gill-Howard (R)
Carolina Panthers
DT, #92, Lee Hunter (R)
New Orleans Saints
DL, #57, Myles Cole (2)
EDGE, #98, Tyree Wilson (4)
Arizona Cardinals
S, #42, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (3)
WR, #82, Reggie Virgil (R)
Los Angeles Rams
CB, #41, Zech McPhearson (4)
San Francisco 49ers
DL, #94, Romello Height (R)
KEY: – Pos., Jersey #, Name, Experience –
2026 NFL PRESEASON SCHEDULE
NFL/Hall of Fame Game (August 6)
Carolina vs. Arizona (NBC)
Preseason Week 1 (August 13-15)
Thursday, Aug. 13
Detroit at Cincinnati
Green Bay at Pittsburgh
Indianapolis at New England
L.A. Chargers at Houston
Arizona at Las Vegas
Tennessee at San Francisco
Friday, Aug. 14
Denver at Atlanta
Tampa Bay at N.Y. Jets
Miami at Washington
Saturday, Aug. 15
Carolina at Buffalo
Cleveland at Chicago
Minnesota at N.Y. Giants
L.A. Rams at Kansas City
Jacksonville at New Orleans
Philadelphia at Baltimore
Dallas at Seattle
Preseason Week 2 (August 20-23)
Thursday, Aug. 20
Las Vegas at Houston (ESPN)
San Francisco at L.A. Chargers
Friday, Aug. 21
N.Y. Jets at Pittsburgh
Carolina at Jacksonville
Green Bay at Denver
Saturday, Aug. 22
Washington at Detroit
Buffalo at Cleveland
Atlanta at Indianapolis
Baltimore at Minnesota
New Orleans at L.A. Rams
N.Y. Giants at Miami
Dallas at Arizona
Chicago at Cincinnati
Philadelphia at New England
Kansas City at Tampa Bay
Sunday, Aug. 23
Seattle at Tennessee (FOX)
Preseason Week 3 (August 27-29)
Thursday, Aug. 27
Pittsburgh at Buffalo
New England at Cleveland (Prime Video)
San Francisco at Las Vegas
L.A. Rams at L.A. Chargers
Friday, Aug. 28
Washington at Baltimore
Houston at Carolina
Atlanta at Miami
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville
N.Y. Giants at N.Y. Jets
New Orleans at Dallas
Seattle at Kansas City
Cincinnati at Philadelphia (CBS)
Arizona at Green Bay
Minnesota at Denver
Saturday, Aug. 29
Detroit at Indianapolis
Chicago at Tennessee
Of the 32 NFL franchises, Texas Tech is represented on 17, with the Miami Dolphins featuring the most former Red Raiders on a single roster with three. The Dolphins drafted a pair of Red Raiders in this year's draft, selecting linebacker Jacob Rodriguez in the second round (No. 43 overall) and wide receiver Caleb Douglas in the third round (No. 75 overall), while All-Pro linebacker Jordyn Brooks returns for his seventh NFL season.
Two of the nine draft picks got their first taste of NFL action in the annual Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6, as the Carolina Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 33-30. Wide receiver Reggie Virgil, a fifth-round pick by the Cardinals, led Arizona with five receptions for 66 yards on six targets. Safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, a fourth-round selection by the Cardinals in the 2024 draft, also saw action as he enters his third NFL season. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Lee Hunter, a second-round pick (No. 49 overall) by the Panthers, played 20 snaps and recorded one tackle.
While NFL rosters boast nine Red Raider rookies, three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes II is the most veteran former Red Raider as he enters his 10th NFL season as the Kansas City Chiefs' signal-caller. Behind Mahomes, Brooks and offensive tackle Terence Steele (Dallas) are both entering their seventh NFL seasons.
Under the NFL calendar, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List by 6 p.m. New York time on Aug. 30, meaning there are no mandatory cuts prior to the three-game NFL preseason schedule concluding. Beginning Aug. 31, franchises may begin establishing practice squads of 17 players. The final day of preseason training camp for all clubs is Sept. 6, while NFL Kickoff Weekend is Sept. 9-14.
RED RAIDERS IN THE NFL
The names below reflect what is listed across all 32 official NFL rosters as of Monday, Aug. 10
Miami Dolphins
ILB, #20, Jordyn Brooks (7)
WR, #7, Caleb Douglas (R)
ILB, #10, Jacob Rodriguez (R)
New England Patriots
QB, #15, Behren Morton (R)
New York Jets
P, #14, Austin McNamara (2)
EDGE, #31, David Bailey (R)
Baltimore Ravens
DL, #96, Broderick Washington Jr. (7)
Cincinnati Bengals
HB, #25, Tahj Brooks (2)
CB, #21, Bralyn Lux (1)
Houston Texans
WR, #85, Josh Kelly (1)
Kansas City Chiefs
QB, #15, Patrick Mahomes II (10)
Las Vegas Raiders
OG, #76, Caleb Rogers (2)
Dallas Cowboys
OT, #78, Terence Steele (7)
Philadelphia Eagles
WR, #49, Erik Ezukanma (3)
S, #21, Cole Wisniewski (R)
Washington Commanders
S, #18, Tyler Owens (3)
Detroit Lions
DL, #50, Skyler Gill-Howard (R)
Carolina Panthers
DT, #92, Lee Hunter (R)
New Orleans Saints
DL, #57, Myles Cole (2)
EDGE, #98, Tyree Wilson (4)
Arizona Cardinals
S, #42, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (3)
WR, #82, Reggie Virgil (R)
Los Angeles Rams
CB, #41, Zech McPhearson (4)
San Francisco 49ers
DL, #94, Romello Height (R)
KEY: – Pos., Jersey #, Name, Experience –
2026 NFL PRESEASON SCHEDULE
NFL/Hall of Fame Game (August 6)
Carolina vs. Arizona (NBC)
Preseason Week 1 (August 13-15)
Thursday, Aug. 13
Detroit at Cincinnati
Green Bay at Pittsburgh
Indianapolis at New England
L.A. Chargers at Houston
Arizona at Las Vegas
Tennessee at San Francisco
Friday, Aug. 14
Denver at Atlanta
Tampa Bay at N.Y. Jets
Miami at Washington
Saturday, Aug. 15
Carolina at Buffalo
Cleveland at Chicago
Minnesota at N.Y. Giants
L.A. Rams at Kansas City
Jacksonville at New Orleans
Philadelphia at Baltimore
Dallas at Seattle
Preseason Week 2 (August 20-23)
Thursday, Aug. 20
Las Vegas at Houston (ESPN)
San Francisco at L.A. Chargers
Friday, Aug. 21
N.Y. Jets at Pittsburgh
Carolina at Jacksonville
Green Bay at Denver
Saturday, Aug. 22
Washington at Detroit
Buffalo at Cleveland
Atlanta at Indianapolis
Baltimore at Minnesota
New Orleans at L.A. Rams
N.Y. Giants at Miami
Dallas at Arizona
Chicago at Cincinnati
Philadelphia at New England
Kansas City at Tampa Bay
Sunday, Aug. 23
Seattle at Tennessee (FOX)
Preseason Week 3 (August 27-29)
Thursday, Aug. 27
Pittsburgh at Buffalo
New England at Cleveland (Prime Video)
San Francisco at Las Vegas
L.A. Rams at L.A. Chargers
Friday, Aug. 28
Washington at Baltimore
Houston at Carolina
Atlanta at Miami
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville
N.Y. Giants at N.Y. Jets
New Orleans at Dallas
Seattle at Kansas City
Cincinnati at Philadelphia (CBS)
Arizona at Green Bay
Minnesota at Denver
Saturday, Aug. 29
Detroit at Indianapolis
Chicago at Tennessee
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