Category: Auburn in NFL

Former Auburn star Derrick Brown signs $96 Million contract extension

Former Auburn captain Derrick Brown became the fourth highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL on Friday.

Former Auburn captain Derrick Brown became the fourth highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL on Friday, signing a four-year, $96 Million contract extension with the Carolina Panthers.

The AAV of $24 Million is the highest value of any contract extension signed by a defensive tackle. Chiefs star Chris Jones, Raiders tackle Christian Wilkins, and the Ravens Justin Madubuike all have more substantial contracts but signed them as free agents on the open market.

Brown’s pay-day comes after a record-breaking season in which he became the first-ever defensive lineman to collect 103 tackles. The “run-stopper” has now collected 245 tackles, 8 sacks, 41 stuffs, and 2 interceptions in his four-year career.

With fellow standout lineman Brian Burnes now playing in New York, the former Tiger is now the leader his position group in Carolina. The Panthers front office made sure the 2020 first-round pick will stay that leader for years to come.

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Montravius Adams signs two-year deal with Steelers

Adams, who has spent three seasons in the “Steel City”, has appeared in 30 games over the last two seasons, accumulating 50 total tackles and a forced fumble.

28-year-old Auburn alumni [autotag]Montravius Adams[/autotag] has signed a two-year deal to stay with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced on Wednesday.

Adams, who has spent three seasons in the “Steel City”, has appeared in 30 games over the last two seasons, accumulating 50 total tackles and a forced fumble.

The former Auburn Tiger played the most snaps of his career last season, picking up a career-high six stuffs in the process.

Adams has seemed to find a home in Pittsburgh after struggling to garner playing time during his tenure with the Green Bay Packers. The two-year deal will keep him in the middle of the Steelers defensive line until his age-30 season.

After getting selected in the third-round of the 2017 NFL Draft by Green Bay, Adams has finally found a home in the AFC North.

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Former Auburn football CB Carlton Davis traded to Detroit Lions

After six years of playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, former Auburn football cornerback Carlton Davis III is headed to the Detroit Lions

The NFL free agency period has begun for 2024, and many teams have made dramatic moves that will set the stage for next season. Many stars are going to wear different uniforms, which will create a lot of noise for next season.

One of those moves includes former Auburn cornerback [autotag]Carlton Davis III[/autotag], who was part of the Tigers’ roster from 2015-17. After spending the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Davis has been traded to the Detroit Lions.

The former Auburn star was traded with multiple sixth-round draft picks in exchange for a third-round pick.

From 2018-2023, Davis appeared in 76 games, racking up 324 total tackles to go along with three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and nine interceptions.

While with the Tigers, he started in all three of his seasons at cornerback, making the second team on the all-SEC roster in his junior year. He appeared in 38 games, posting 138 total tackles with three forced fumbles and four interceptions.

Davis looks to be the new veteran leader and No. 1 cornerback on the roster heading into his time in Detroit.

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Prince Tega Wanogho ruled out for Super Bowl 58

Auburn alumni Prince Tega Wanogho has been ruled out ahead of the biggest game of the NFL season.

Auburn’s lone representative in the Super Bowl, Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle [autotag]Prince Tega Wanogho[/autotag], has been ruled out ahead of Super Bowl 58.

The designation marks the end of a disappointing season for the Auburn alumni. Injury issues forced the 26-year-old to miss all but 3 games this season in Kansas City.

He could have been in for an increase in snaps with the Chiefs set to miss star guard Joe Thuney in the game.

Instead, quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be playing behind a banged-up line in front of a stout 49ers defense. For what it’s worth, Mahomes’ lone Super Bowl loss occurred against the Tampa Bay Buccanneers when his offensive line failed to hold up.

We’ll see if Kansas City suffers the same fate today. As for Wanogho, the young tackle will look to prove his worth in the offseason as he looks for a new contract.

The Kansas City Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58 Sunday at 5:30 p.m. CT. The big game will be broadcasted on CBS.

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Former Auburn walk-on Joe Whitt Jr. signs on as Washington Commanders Defensive Coordinator

Whitt Jr. will serve as defensive coordinator under new head coach Dan Quinn’s staff.

Former Auburn receiver [autotag]Joe Whitt Jr.[/autotag] has been named the next defensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Whitt Jr. has spent years coaching in the National Football League, mainly under new Commanders head coach Dan Quinn in Atlanta and most recently, Dallas.

Despite his playing experience on the offensive side of the ball, Whitt Jr. has almost exclusively coached defensive backs during his coaching career.

After a brief stint as the wide receivers coach for The Citadel in 2002, the former Auburn walk-on moved on to the University of Louisville to coach cornerbacks from 2003-2006.

Whitt Jr. would then move on to the NFL as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Atlanta Falcons before spending 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers as a defensive quality control coach, cornerbacks coach, and defensive pass game coordinator.

He would then join the Cleveland Browns in 2019 before hooking up with Dan Quinn for the first time in 2020 with the Atlanta Falcons.

After Quinn was fired, the now-Commanders head coach moved on to be the defensive Coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. Whitt Jr. followed, and spent the past 3 seasons coaching alongside his friend and mentor.

Now, the former Auburn Tiger’s hard work has paid on in his first defensive coordinator role with the Commanders.

Washington gutted much of its defensive roster after struggling last season, so Whitt. Jr certainly will have his work cut out for him in 2024.

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Former Auburn wide receivers coach to join Atlanta Falcons staff

Hilliard served as wide receivers coach for Auburn during the final season of the Bryan Harsin era.

A former Auburn assistant is heading back to the NFL to serve on a professional staff.

[autotag]Ike Hilliard[/autotag], who coached wide receivers and later served as interim offensive coordinator at Auburn during the 2022 season, has been hired by the Atlanta Falcons to coach wide receivers as part of new head coach Raheem Morris’ staff.

During his one season at Auburn, Tiger receivers reeled in 159 passes for 2,072 yards and nine touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus data, Auburn receivers dropped 17 passes in 2022 and earned an additional 1,077 yards after first contact.

[autotag]Ja’varrius Johnson[/autotag] was the team’s leading receiver with 493 yards and three touchdowns on 26 catches. [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag] and [autotag]Shedrick Jackson[/autotag] were next in line with a combined 531 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Hilliard returns to the NFL after spending 11 seasons as a wide receivers coach for a variety of teams such as the Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, and Buffalo Bills. Before joining the coaching ranks, he played 12 seasons in the NFL for the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Prince Tega Wanogho headed back to Super Bowl with Chiefs

This former Auburn lineman is headed back to the Super Bowl

Former Auburn offensive tackle [autotag]Prince Tega Wanogho[/autotag] is headed back to the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 26-year-old appeared in just 3 games this season for Kansas City before going on IR after appearing in 17 during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning season last year.

There is some hope that Wanogho can return to the field on February 11, as the former sixth-round pick was able to partake in all three practice sessions before ultimately being ruled out last Friday.

With two weeks off between now and the big game, the former Auburn standout will have every chance to prove his health ahead of the second Super Bowl of his young career.

If Wanogho can play, he may see an uptick from the seven snaps he received last year with the Chiefs offensive line in rough condition injury-wise.

Star guard Joe Thuney injured himself in the divisional round against the Bills and is considered a “long shot” to return this season, while most of the other starters across the line are dealing with minor ailments.

Active or not, Wanogho can join former Tigers [autotag]Jonathan Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon King[/autotag] as active alumni with multiple Super Bowl victories with a win.

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Derrick Brown named to 2024 NFL Pro Bowl

Brown will cap his most successful season in the NFL by compeiting in the Pro Bowl.

Former Auburn defensive lineman [autotag]Derrick Brown[/autotag] has been named to the 2024 Pro Bowl games as a replacement for Aaron Donald.

Brown is coming off his best season as a professional for the Carolina Panthers, shining as a bright spot for an otherwise rough season in Charlotte.

The 25-year-old set the record for tackles by a defensive tackle in 2023, recording 103 total tackles en route to breaking Christian Wilkins’ 2022 record of 98 tackles.

While the record was certainly aided by the extra regular season game, Brown’s dominance shouldn’t be understated.

Auburn’s former captain is set to join New York Giants tackle Dexter Lawrence and San Francisco 49ers tackle Javon Hargrave, as the three interior defensive linemen on Eli Manning’s NFC Pro Bowl roster.

Hargrave would join Aaron Donald as an opt-out if his 49ers make it to the Super Bowl.

Brown is the first Auburn alumni to receive a Pro Bowl invite since long snapper [autotag]Josh Harris[/autotag] played for the NFC in 2022. The former first-round pick is the first defensive player from Auburn to make the All-Star game since [autotag]Dee Ford[/autotag] in 2019.

The Pro Bowl games kick off in Orlando, Florida on February 1 and continue throughout the week, ending on February 4 with a “Flag Football Showdown.”

We’ll see if Brown can help the NFC take home the crown for the second year in a row.

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Auburn in the NFL: Week 18 Recap

Auburn alumni showed out in NFL Week 18

The NFL regular season has come to an end.

With it, many Auburn alumni have packed their bags and begun their offseason.

Still, we say many Tigers make headlines in the final week of the regular season, with some Auburn alumni helping their squads qualify for the playoffs.

Panthers defensive tackle [autotag]Derrick Brown[/autotag] set an NFL record, [autotag]Carlton Davis[/autotag], [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag], and KJ Britt helped the Bucs clinch the NFC South, [autotag]Anders Carlson[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag] are heading to the postseason as rookies, and [autotag]Braden Smith[/autotag]’s Colts lost a heartbreaker to the Texans.

Here is a look at several headlines from Week 18 that feature Auburn’s top NFL players.

Willie Anderson named as finalist for 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Former Auburn Tiger Willie Anderson has been named a finalist for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class.

Former Auburn Tiger offensive lineman Willie Anderson has been named a finalist for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class.

The Auburn alum spent his entire 13-year career in the NFL as one of the premier offensive tackles in the sport.

Anderson was fantastic for the entirety of his career, but he began receiving All-Pro accolades shortly after the Bengals drafted franchise quarterback Carson Palmer.

Along with Palmer, Anderson helped lead the Bengals to a relevance in the early 2000s The right captured first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in 2004, a year after being voted on the second team for the first time in 2003.

The 1996 first-round selection cemented himself as an All-Pro from there, as he helped the Bengals capture an AFC North title in 2005 before being named to the first-team over the next three seasons.

In total, Anderson appeared in 199 games for Cincinnati and the Baltimore Ravens. Four of those 199 were in the playoffs.

A member of the Bengals “Ring of Honor”, Anderson joins the likes of legends Reggie Wayne, Devin Hester, Antonio Gates, Rodney Harrison, and Dwight Freeney on the 2024 finalist list.

We will find out whether Anderson or the other names on the list find their way into Canton, OH on February 8th at the NFL Honors Awards.