Terps In The 2025 NFL Playoffs
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And just like that, the NFL 2025-26 season has come and gone, and now the fanbases of the remaining 14 teams turn their attention to the playoffs, which begin Saturday afternoon when the Carolina Panthers play host to the Los Angeles Rams.
Among these various teams, there are a few familiar names to College Park who are looking to play at Levi Stadium next month, with a chance to become the Super Bowl LX champions.
Let's take a look at which former Terps are remaining....
- Chicago Bears WR DJ Moore
- Chicago Bears LB Ruben Hyppolite II
- New England Patriots WR Stefon Diggs
- Los Angeles Chargers CB Tarheeb Still
- San Francisco 49ers DT Sam Okuayinonu
- Philadelphia Eagles CB Jakorian Bennett
- Pittsburgh Steelers OG Spencer Anderson
- Buffalo Bills RB Ty Johnson
- Buffalo Bills S Darnell Savage Jr.
- Buffalo Bills DT Tommy Akingbesote
Ten former Terps, all part of great teams that have made some headway in some form or fashion this season, will keep playing football deep into January.
I'll dive into the players that seen substantial playing time so far this season....
Diggs has been a key staple in the Patriots' resurgence this season. Diggs was brought in this past offseason by head coach Mike Vrabel to form a new 1-2 punch with second-year quarterback Drake Maye and help revive an offense that needed a No. 1 receiver.
Diggs delivered, posting 85 receptions, 1013 yards, and four touchdowns on 102 targets, playing in all 17 games. He's easily a comeback player of the year candidate after tearing his ACL in 2024 with the Texans.
Moore may not be the No. 1 guy he was initially brought in to be with Chicago in 2023, but that doesn't mean his impact is diminished. Moore was instrumental in the Bears' rise to the top this year, still operating well within first-year head coach Ben Johnson's offense and making plays down the field with Caleb Williams.
Moore had 50 receptions for 682 yards and six touchdowns. He also had 15 carries for 79 yards and a rushing touchdown. Moore's highlight play came in a key week 16 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, where he hauled in the walk-off overtime touchdown score.
Still finished the season with 53 total tackles (37 solo & 16 assisted), five tackles for loss, and seven pass deflections. He also had a PFF grade of 68.4, which ranked 32nd among 114 cornerbacks in the league. He was a part of a defensive unit that ranked fifth in the league, fourth in passing yards allowed, and ninth in scoring.
Johnson is in his seventh season in the league and third with Buffalo. Johnson was never called upon to be a No. 1 guy leading a running back room since his entry in 2019. But that doesn't mean he hasn't carved out a role for himself in the meantime. In Buffalo, he's operated as the second/third back who can take on some carries per game, but he also excels catching passes out of the backfield and tacking on yards afterwards. While also handling kickoff return duties.
In 2025, Johnson ran the ball 50 times for 200 yards and three scores. He also caught 24 passes for 263 yards and two scores. In the return duties, he had 11 attempts for 240 yards, with his longest being 31 yards.
Okuayinonu has had a nice season as a rotational piece on the defensive line under Robert Salah's dominant defense in San Francisco. Okuayinonu had 39 total tackles (23 solo & 16 assisted), three sacks, one forced fumble, four stuffs, and 28 pressures. It's what San Fran is good at: finding young players and developing them, especially when injuries come to the fold.
Anderson has been a massive steal for the Steelers' offensive line. He's played 381 snaps, committing only two penalties, allowing only two hits (24th in the NFL) and 10 total pressures (3rd in the NFL). His grades for the 2025 season among 81 guards round out to all, according to PPF: overall grade- 56.8 (56th), pass blocking- 60.9 (47th), and run blocking- 59.6 (48th).
The seventh-round draftee has been a great piece, with his versatility allowing him to be plugged in to play in times of need and the potential to become a future full-time starter.
Moving on to the final four former Terps: Hyppolite II, Bennett, Savage Jr., and Akingbesote, they are all in situations with players ahead of them on the depth chart in established key roles, leading to limited playing time on the field.
Hyppolite II is a rookie in his first season, Bennett was moved from Las Vegas to Philadelphia this past offseason (scheme fit), and Savage Jr. requested a release from both Jacksonville and Washington due to a lack of role with those teams, where he now is with Buffalo. Akingbesote resides on the Buffalo practice squad, where he has not taken a snap this season.
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.