10 Former Cards Reach 2025 NFL Playoffs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Almost as quickly as it began, another National Football League regular season is in the books, and the NFL Playoffs are now back.

14 teams - seven teams from each conference - will get the action started this Saturday with Wild Card Weekend. Following the Divisional Round and Conference Championship Weekend, Super Bowl LX will take place on February 8, 2026 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

As you can expect, several former Cardinals will be competing for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy. Heading into the playoffs, 10 former Louisville football players are on active, reserve or practice squad rosters for the 14 teams that clinched playoff berths:

LB Yasir Abdullah - Jacksonville Jaguars
WR Tutu Atwell - Los Angeles Rams
OT Mekhi Becton - Los Angeles Chargers
OT Geron Christian - Denver Broncos
RB Isaac Guerendo - San Francisco 49ers
RB Jawhar Jordan - Houston Texans
DT Sheldon Rankins - Houston Texans
TE Mark Redman - Los Angeles Rams
CB Corey Thornton - Carolina Panthers
WR Jordan Watkins - San Francisco 49ers

Thornton's Panthers will do battle against Atwell, Redman and the Rams to get Wild Card Weekend started, with kickoff from Charlotte slated for on Saturday, January 10 at 4:30 p.m. EST on FOX. The Panthers might have gone just 8-9, but Carolina earned their first playoff berth since 2017 - and the No. 4 seed in the NFC - by virtue of winning the NFC South on the last day of the regular season. As for Los Angeles, they went 12-5 but lost failed to win the NFC West, giving them the No. 5 seed in the conference.

Thornton was having a very good rookie campaign for the Panthers before suffering a season-ending led injury. Playing in 12 games, he finished the season with 14 games (eight solo), three pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Atwell has seen his role on the Rams decrease this season, but he still has made an impact from time-to-time. He's played in only nine games and made four starts, hauling in five receptions on 12 targets for 173 yards and an 88-yard touchdown.

Redman was signed to the Rams' practice squad during the preseason. However, he has yet to be elevated to their active roster.

Abdullah and the Jaguars will kick off the second day of Wild Card Weekend with a home showdown against the sixth-seeded Buffalo Bills on Sunday, January 11 at 1:00 p.m. EST on CBS. In year one under head coach Liam Coen, Jacksonville more than tripled their win total from the previous season, going 13-4 to win the AFC South and clinch the conference's No. 3 seed.

The second game of day two of Wild Card Weekend will feature Guerendo and Watkins' 49ers head to Philadelphia for a matchup with the third-seeded Eagles at 4:30 p.m. EST on FOX. Despite going 12-5, it was only good enough for San Francisco to earn the No. 6 seed in the NFC.

Guerendo has appeared in 14 games this season for the 49ers, but has been used almost exclusively on special teams. He has four tackles (two solo) plus a forced fumble, as well as five kickoff returns for 100 years.

Watkins has been inactive for a large portion of his rookie season with the 49ers. He has played in four games, but caught just two catches for 26 yards on three targets.

Wrapping the second day of playoff action will be Becton's Chargers, and they are traveling to Foxboro to take on the second-seeded New England Patriots at 8:15 p.m. EST on NBC. At 11-6, Los Angeles barely got in, earning the seventh and final seed in the AFC.

Becton signed with the Chargers last offseason after winning Super Bowl LIX with the Eagles. He has been a regular starter for Los Angeles, starting in 14 games at right guard and playing 78 percent of their possible offensive snaps.

Jordan and Rankins' Texans will square off against the fourth-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of Wild Card Weekend, kicking off on Monday, January 12 at 8:15 p.m. EST on ABC from the Steel City. Houston went 12-5 during the regular season, barely missing out on winning the AFC South and earning conference's No. 5 seed.

Jordan spent most of the season on the Texans' practice squad, but was elevated to their 53-man roster ahead of week 15. He made the most of this opportunity, rushing for 190 yards on 38 attempts in his two regular season appearances.

Rankins has had an efficient season in his 10th year at the NFL level. Starting in 16 games for the Texans, he collected 33 tackles (15 solo), five for loss, nine QB hits, and a fumble return for a touchdown.

As for Christian's Broncos, they clinched the top seed in the AFC as well as a first round bye, going 14-3 for their first AFC West crown since 2015. They'll face the lowest remaining seed in the AFC on either Saturday, January 17 or Sunday, January 18.

Christian spent the bulk of the 2025 season on the Cowboys' practice squad, but signed with the Broncos prior to Week 12. While he has been on Denver's 53-man roster ever since, he has yet to see any in-game action this season.

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