Ex-Cal LB Jordan Kunaszyk Signed to Washington's Active Roster

Former Golden Bears star hopes to get on the field in Sunday's NFL game

The Washington Football Team signed former Cal linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk off of its practice squad on Tuesday, which means Kunaszyk will be on the team's active roster for Washington's game against the Saints on Sunday.

Kunaszyk was elevated from the practice squad after Washington linebacker Jon Bostic was placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury. He is likely to miss the rest of the season.

Kunaszyk played nine games and made 10 tackles for the Panthers in 2019, when he played for Carolina head coach Ron Rivera, who was an All-America linebacker at Cal.  Kunaszyk then followed Rivera to Washington last year, and played in six games for Washington in 2020, recording three tackles.

He was released by Washington in the final cutdown before the regular season this year, but immediately signed with the Washington practice squad.

Kunaszyk was a first-team all-Pac-12 selection in his final season at Cal in 2017, but he was not taken in the 2018 NFL draft. He signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent and made the regular-season roster as a rookie.

Rivera's familiarity with Kunaszyk no doubt played a role in Kunaszyk being signed to the Washington practice squad last month. The fact that both were all-conference linebackers for the Golden Bears adds to the story.

On Saturday, former Cal linebacker Hardy Nickerson was elevated to the Houston Texans active roster. On Monday, he was returned to the practice squad. Nickerson played his first three college seasons with the Golden Bears before playing his final season at Illinois. 

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Cover photo of Jordan Kunaszyk is by Paul Rutherford, USA TODAY Sports

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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