Top NFL Performances From Former Boilers in Week 1
In this story:
The 2026 NFL season kicked off last week, and a handful of former Boilermakers took the field for a fresh year. Although there are nine Purdue alums on professional rosters, only three saw time on the field in Week 1.
All three of those players are from the Jeff Brohm era: George Karlaftis, Derrick Barnes and Tyrone Tracy Jr. How did those three guys perform in their respective season openers?
Here's the quick rundown of how the former Boilermakers performed during the opening week of the NFL season.
DE George Karlaftis, Kansas City Chiefs
Karlaftis was impactful in Kansas City's opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. He accounted for three tackles, which included one solo stop. Although he didn't record a sack, he did get three hits on quarterback Bo Nix.
Thanks to that pressure, Nix only completed 17-of-28 passes for 131 yards with one touchdown and an interception. The Chiefs defeated the Broncos 31-10 to start 1-0.
LB Derrick Barnes, Detroit Lions
Barnes had a monstrous performance on Sunday, helping the Lions pick up a 31-30 overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints to begin the year 1-0. The linebacker racked up six tackles, a sack and an interception. That interception came in the third quarter, allowing Detroit to take a 14-0 lead.
Barnes was also responsible for another quarterback hit and two pass break-ups in the Lions' season-opening victory.
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
Tracy put together great seasons in each of the last two years with the Giants, accounting for 1,565 yards and seven touchdowns. He didn't get the same number of opportunities in New York's opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.
The running back had just two carries for 14 yards against the Cowboys. He was also responsible for a fumble in the first half. The Giants opened the year with a 28-20 win on their home field.
Other Boilers in the NFL
Several other Boilermakers are on NFL rosters for the 2026 season. The ones listed below either did not play in Week 1 or did not record any statistics.
- Payne Durham, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Marcus Mbow, OL, New York Giants
- Jalen Graham, San Francisco 49ers
- Reese Taylor, DB, Miami Dolphins
- Charlie Jones, WR, New York Giants
- Aidan O'Connell, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can't-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
Follow SchutteDustin