badgers in the NFL – Syndication Server

Los Angeles Rams waive former Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman

The Los Angeles Rams waived former Wisconsin offensive lineman Logan Bruss on Monday. The move was made as the Rams altered their roster before their Week 10 game against the Miami Dolphins.

Bruss was a third-round pick by the team back in the 2022 NFL draft. He appeared in just eight games from 2022-24, all of which were during the first half of the 2024 season.

The former Badger’s Rams career hit a significant roadblock when he tore his ACL and MCL during the team’s second preseason game before the 2022 season. He then spent all of last season on the practice squad before making the roster in 2024.

Bruss started three games at left guard for the Rams this season before being benched for rookie Justin Dedich. His roster spot was then eliminated with the Rams activating starting linemen Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila off injured reserve.

LA Rams Roster Moves:
• Activated, from Reserve OL Steve Avila, OL Jonah Jackson
• Activated, from Practice Squad DE Jonah Williams
• Waived, No Recall OL Logan Bruss pic.twitter.com/Csq70h99dP

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 11, 2024

Bruss played five years for the Badgers (2017-21). That career included 41 games and 34 starts (25 at right tackle, six at right guard). It was capped off by All-Big Ten second team honors during the 2021 season, blocking for program-great RB Braelon Allen.

The former Badger will now look for a new NFL home as he continues his professional career.

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Former Wisconsin Badger signs to Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad

Former Wisconsin Badger signs to Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad

Former Wisconsin long-snapper Peter Bowden signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad on Tuesday.

The former Badger previously spent the offseason with the Green Bay Packers after signing as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL draft. He was eventually released in late August after losing the battle for the starting long-snapper position.

Just a few months later, the Wisconsin product now has another shot in the league.

Bowden previously started 39 games at long-snapper for the Badgers from 2021-23. His college career was highlighted by being named a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award (for the nation’s best long-snapper) in 2023.

He is now one of seven former Badgers on NFL practice squads, joining Quintez Cephus (Los Angeles Rams), Matt Henningsen (Denver Broncos), Faion Hicks (Seattle Seahawks), Tanner Mordecai (San Francisco 49ers), Kendric Pryor (Cincinnati Bengals) and Hayden Rucci (Miami Dolphins).

We have signed OL Dennis Daley and LS Peter Bowden to the practice squad and released LB Tanner Muse and RB Jake Funk from the practice squad.@Shift4 | #DUUUVAL https://t.co/wGvxVs1v5b

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) November 5, 2024

Bowden will now await a promotion to the active roster with Ross Matiscik established as the Jaguars’ starting long-snapper. The team is currently 2-7 after a recent loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, tied with six others for the worst record in the NFL.

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Former Wisconsin running back leads 49ers to victory over Cowboys on ‘Sunday Night Football’

Former Wisconsin running back scores first NFL touchdown on “Sunday Night Football”

Former Wisconsin running back Isaac Guerendo scored the first touchdown of his NFL career in the San Francisco 49ers’ 30-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

The former Badger took a hand off from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy from the 4-yard line and plunged in for the score. His touchdown was the first of three third-quarter touchdowns by the 49ers. It put the team up 13-10 — a lead it did not relinquish.

Guerendo finished the evening with a team-high 14 carries, 85 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, plus three receptions for 17 receiving yards.

Here is his touchdown:

First @NFL TD for @isaacguerendo!

📺 #DALvsSF on NBC
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/elQzbbBvzX

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 28, 2024

The former Badger’s role has steadily increased since joining the team as a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He has become the team’s primary option at the position with star Christian McCaffrey out with an injury.

His evening against Dallas could have looked even better in the stat sheet. Instead of adding another touchdown in the game’s closing moments, Guerendo smartly slid to end the game.

Isaac Guerendo helps seal the win for the @49ers! pic.twitter.com/f0md2DwKNM

— NFL (@NFL) October 28, 2024

Guerendo played for five years at Wisconsin (2018-2022) before transferring to Louisville for the 2023 season. He was never able to win the full-time starting job with the Badgers thanks to recurring injuries and the emergence of Braelon Allen in 2021.

The speedster’s best college output was, by far, his 810-yard, 11-touchdown 2023 season with Louisville. Otherwise, he totaled 99 carries, 582 yards and six touchdowns in his years with the Badgers.

Guerendo is up to 37 carries, 227 yards and one touchdown in his rookie NFL season. He and the 49ers will be back on the field on Nov. 10 at Tampa Bay.

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Cleveland Browns release former Wisconsin cornerback

The Cleveland Browns released former Wisconsin cornerback Faion Hicks on Monday. The move came as the Browns worked to trim their roster to the required 53 to enter the 2024 season.

Hicks had signed with the Browns at the start of August after spending the first two seasons of his NFL career with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints.

The former Badger cornerback was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Broncos. He spent most of 2022 on the team’s practice squad, appearing in two games. He saw his only action on special teams.

The Broncos released Hicks entering the 2023 season, which led the cornerback to sign with the New Orleans Saints in September. He spent 2023 on the Saints practice squad before he was released this offseason.

Hicks saw limited action this preseason after signing with the Browns on Aug. 4. He played 57% of the team’s defensive snaps in its preseason Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a sign he was a long shot to make the active roster.

#Browns waived:
G Wyatt Davis
K Lucas Havrisik
CB Faion Hicks
LB Landon Honeycutt
LB Caleb Johnson
G Zack Johnson
DE Jeremiah Martin
T Roy Mbaeteka
LB Marvin Moody
T Chim Okorafor
RB Aidan Robbins
RB Jacob Saylors
LS Rex Sunahara
DE Isaiah Thomas
S Chase Williams (injury desig.)

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) August 26, 2024

The former Badger could again be a practice squad candidate once waivers clear.

Hicks is still in search of a steady NFL landing spot after playing for four years at Wisconsin (2018-2021). He and Caesar Williams formed the Badgers lock-down cornerback duo on the program’s record-setting 2021 defense. That year was Hicks’ best as a Badger. He recorded 28 tackles and a career-high 10 pass deflections.

The former Badger now waits to clear waivers before he can sign on to a practice squad for the third consecutive season.

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Detroit Lions release former Wisconsin cornerback

His tenure with the Detroit Lions lasted only six days

The Detroit Lions released former Wisconsin cornerback Rachad Wildgoose on Monday. Wildgoose was one of the Lions’ Monday roster cuts as the team worked to trim its roster to 53 players by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.

The former Badger had just signed with the Lions on Aug. 21, less than one week earlier.

Wildgoose is still in search of a consistent NFL home after originally joining the league as a sixth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in the 2021 NFL draft.

He failed to make the Bills roster in 2021, spending much of the year on team’s the practice squad. The cornerback was then signed to the New York Jets active roster on Nov. 16, 2021, where he played five games and totaled three tackles.

Wildgoose’s winding NFL career then took a stop in Washington. He played 15 games for the Commanders in 2022, starting three games and tallying 16 total tackles. He was later released entering the 2023 season.

The former Badger did not play professional football again until July, 2024 when he signed with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions. He quickly jumped up to the NFL with the Lions on Aug. 21, though was then released earlier this week.

The #Lions released CB Rachad Wildgoose, per source.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 26, 2024

Wildgoose played for three years at Wisconsin (2018-2020). He was a standout on the 2019 defense, totaling 22 tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception and six pass deflections. He then suffered an injury early during the 2020 season and later declared for the upcoming NFL draft.

The former Badger is in the midst of an NFL comeback attempt. That quest will need to begin on a team’s practice squad.

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Denver Broncos release former Wisconsin defensive lineman

The Denver Broncos released former Wisconsin Badgers defensive lineman Matt Henningsen on Tuesday. The news came as the Broncos cut their roster to the required 53 players before the 2024 season begins.

Henningsen had been a dependable reserve defensive lineman for the Broncos since they selected him in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He played in every game for the team in 2022 and 2023, totaling 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and one sack.

The former Badger had reportedly slipped on the depth chart entering 2024. He only recorded five tackles in limited preseason action.

The Broncos enter the 2024 season with a defensive line group of Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers, Jordan Jackson, Malcolm Roach and Eyioma Uwazurike.

Henningsen should be an attractive practice squad candidate given his experience in the league. That is if he clears waivers. Other NFL teams are sure to be in search of veteran depth along the defensive line.

#Broncos waived DL Matt Henningsen, source said.

A 2022 sixth-round pick who appeared in every game the past two seasons. Was mostly with the deeper reserve groups through camp this summer, though.

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) August 27, 2024

Henningsen played four years at Wisconsin (2018-2021). He was a critical piece of the Badgers’ record-setting 2021 defense. The lineman’s final college career numbers include 91 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, eight sacks, four pass deflections and two defensive touchdowns.

We’ll monitor the NFL transaction wire as waivers clear in the coming days. It would be a surprise if Henningsen does not find a spot on an NFL roster entering the season.

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Cincinnati Bengals release former Wisconsin wide receiver

The Cincinnati Bengals waived former Wisconsin wide receiver Kendric Pryor on Tuesday. The move was part of the Bengals trimming their roster to the required 53 players before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.

This news comes after Pryor caught one pass for 11 yards during limited preseason action. He missed time during the period with a finger injury, an injury that did not help his case to make the team’s active roster.

The Bengals instead opted to enter 2024 with a wide receiver room of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Losivas, Charlie Jones, Jermaine Burton and Trenton Irwin.

This news means Pryor will again likely enter the season on the practice squad. That status has defined his professional career this far, as he has yet to stick on an NFL roster since going undrafted during the 2022 NFL draft.

His first chance came with the Bengals during 2022 training camp. He was released during roster cuts on Aug. 30 of that year. That led to a stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he spent most of the 2022 season on and off of the team’s practice squad. The Jaguars released him on Aug. 29, 2023 in the final roster cuts before the 2023 season.

Pryor then signed back with the Bengals in October. He spent the rest of the 2023 season on the Bengals practice squad before signing a reserve contract that kept him with the team up until Tuesday.

–WR Shedrick Jackson
–S PJ Jules
–WR Kendric Pryor
–CB Lance Robinson (Waived/Injured)

— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) August 27, 2024

Pryor’s brief professional stint has followed a five-year Wisconsin career (2017-2021). He totaled 99 catching, 1,265 yards and seven touchdowns during that time, including a career-best 416 yards in 2021.

The former Badger will likely sign to the Bengals practice squad once waivers clear as he continues to work for his first NFL opportunity.

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Houston Texans release former Wisconsin wide receiver

The Houston Texans released former Wisconsin wide receiver Quintez Cephus on Tuesday. The roster move comes as the Texans trimmed their roster to the required 53 players to enter the 2024 season.

Cephus signed with the Texans in July after being released by the Buffalo Bills earlier in the offseason. He spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Detroit Lions (2020-2023) after being a fifth-round selection in the 2020 NFL draft.

The former Badger excelled in limited action during the Texans’ 2024 preseason, catching a total of six passes for 40 yards in three games of action.

That strong performance was not enough to earn him a spot on the team’s 53-man roster entering the season. Instead, the Texans opted for a wide receiver room of Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Stefon Diggs, Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods, John Metchie III and Steven Sims.

#Texans releasing wide receiver Quintez Cephus, per a league source @KPRC2

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 27, 2024

Cephus played for three years at Wisconsin (2016, 2017, 2019). His best season came in 2019 when he and quarterback Jack Coan connected for 59 receptions, 901 yards and seven touchdowns.

The former Badgers’ NFL career has been a roller coaster up to this point. He performed well in his first two seasons with the Lions (2020, 2021), totaling 35 catches for 553 yards and four touchdowns. An injury then derailed his 2022 season before his career came to a halt when he was among several Lions suspended for all of 2023 for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.

Cephus is still searching for his next opportunity after missing most of the last two seasons. He signed with the Buffalo Bills in April, though was soon released. The Texans were the next to give the talented former Badger an opportunity.

The wide receiver will likely start the 2024 season on the Texans’ practice squad. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that he’s back on the active roster at some point this year.

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Former Wisconsin running back sets NFL record with new kickoff return

Former Wisconsin running back Isaac Guerendo is in the NFL record books, at least for the time being.

The former Badger and Louisville Cardinal set the record for the longest dynamic kickoff return of the 2024 NFL preseason on Friday. Since the new return rules were implemented this year, his return of 93 yards is the longest.

The new NFL kickoff rules put the kicking team on the opposing 40-yard line, the receiving team on its 35-yard line and the returner inside his own 20. Nobody can move until the return man catches the ball, creating a much different dynamic than players blitzing down the field in the old model.

Guerendo is a perfect player to take advantage of the new play. His speed, vision and athleticism are all tested as the convergence of blockers and defenders creates a handoff-like situation.

Unfortunately, the former Badger was tripped up four yards before the goal line. Otherwise, a 97-yard return touchdown could have been in position to serve as the record for an extended time.

Isaac Guerendo takes the kickoff back 93 yards!

It's longest dynamic kickoff return of the preseason.

📺: #SFvsLV on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/qNWHGNtYZ8

— NFL (@NFL) August 24, 2024

Guerendo was a fourth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 NFL draft. He played for five years at Wisconsin (2018-2022) before transferring to Louisville after the 2022 season.

He never won the full-time job with the Badgers, mostly because of the emergence of Braelon Allen during the 2021 season. Wisconsin was never able to properly utilize his speed during his tenure with the program, speed which was on full display while rushing for 810 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023 with the Cardinals.

The former Badger and Cardinal is a lock to make the 49ers roster as a depth option at running back. He was slow to progress during training camp due to an early injury. That is now in the past as demonstrated by his game-breaking play on kickoff return.

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WATCH: Former Wisconsin tight end scores touchdown in Miami Dolphins preseason finale

Former Wisconsin tight end Hayden Rucci is making a late push to make the Miami Dolphins 53-man roster.

The former Badger led the Dolphins in receiving with five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown in the team’s NFL Preseason Week 3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The loss Friday was Rucci’s final big chance to leave an impression on the Dolphins coaching staff before the roster is finalized this week. He will finish the preseason period with five total catches on six targets, 57 yards and a touchdown.

Here’s the main highlight from Rucci’s big night. He split the Buccaneers’ defense before Skylar Thompson hit him in stride for a 20-yard score.

Hayden Rucci for 6.#Badgers pic.twitter.com/cmYq702Y79

— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) August 24, 2024

Rucci was signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL draft. He played for five seasons at Wisconsin (2019-23), two as the primary starter.

His best collegiate season came in 2023. While his fit as a blocking tight end did not directly fit Phil Longo’s air raid offense, Rucci caught 11 passes for 125 total yards — leading the tight end room.

The former Badger will now await the Dolphins’ roster decision. He is currently listed as the fifth-string tight end, though may rise after this performance. A spot on the practice squad is likely if the roster cutdown is missed.

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