Tag: badgers in the NFL

Former Wisconsin OL suffers injury in NFL preseason Week 2 matchup

Former Wisconsin OL suffers injury in NFL preseason Week 2 matchup

Former Wisconsin offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini left the Indianapolis Colts preseason Week 2 game early on Saturday with a toe injury. He was held out of the fourth quarter of the team’s 21-13 exhibition win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Bortolini was given the start at center with the Colts resting their primary starters. The former Badger is projected to enter the season as the backup to veteran center Ryan Kelly.

Related: Every former Wisconsin Badger currently on an NFL roster entering 2024 training camp

The IndyStar’s Joel Erickson noted after the game that Bortolini said “he doesn’t think his toe injury will keep him out too long,” which is welcome news for the former Badger as he prepares for his rookie season.

Bortolini joined the Colts as a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He is set to begin his professional career after starting 27 games over four years at Wisconsin — 13 starts at center, 13 at left or right guard and one at tight end. The versatile lineman started 12 games at center for the Badgers in 2023, helping to usher in the team’s new era under offensive coordinator Phil Longo.

The Colts have one final preseason game on Aug. 22 before finalizing preparations for the upcoming season. Bortolini is a lock to make the initial 53-man roster. He’ll hope to return by Sept. 8 for the team’s Week 1 game against the Texans.

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Photos of top former Wisconsin Badgers in 2024 NFL training camp

Photos of former Wisconsin Badgers in 2024 NFL training camp

All 32 NFL teams have commenced training camp in preparation for the upcoming 2024 season. 34 former Wisconsin Badgers are currently divided among those NFL rosters.

While much will change between now and the end of training camp when each team cuts its roster to the required 53 players, a large portion of those former Badgers will enter Week 1 still on those respective rosters.

Related: Every former Wisconsin Badger currently on an NFL roster entering 2024 training camp

The headliners of the group of Wisconsin productions include Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson and OLB T.J. Watt, Chicago Bears ILBs T.J. Edwards and Jack Sanborn, Kansas City Chiefs LB Leo Chenal, Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, New York Jets RB Braelon Allen and Minnesota Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel.

Badgers fans will get a first look at the school’s alumni when Sanborn, Edwards, WR Quintez Cephus (Houston Texans) and RB Dare Ogunbowale (Houston Texans) take part in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Aug. 1.

Before that contest begins the full preseason schedule, here is a first look at several notable former Badgers at their respective training camps:

Former Wisconsin Badger in the midst of a significant NFL training camp position battle

Former Wisconsin Badger in the midst of a significant NFL training camp position battle

All eyes are on former Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson as the NFL offseason inches toward training camp.

First, the Wisconsin legend has been one of the biggest topics in the sport since the Seattle Seahawks traded him to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2022 season. His high-profile struggles in Denver were impossible to ignore given his record contract with the team.

Related: Ranking all 18 Big Ten coaching staffs entering the 2024 football season

But second, the one-time Super Bowl champion’s recent journey has landed him in one of the NFL’s most intriguing offseason position battles: him vs. Justin Fields for Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback.

Wilson has a significant leg up after the Steelers signed him early in the offseason. The franchise did trade a conditional sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears for Fields, but did so with the plan to have Fields develop while Wilson started under center.

But talent and production matters more than anything. If Wilson continues to struggle as he’s mostly done over the past three seasons, Fields’ raw talent could see him win the job.

Their battle was at the top of ProFootballFocus’ recent list of eight key NFL training camp battles.

Here’s what Gordon McGuinness wrote about the former Badger and his job security:

The most high-profile quarterback battle of training camp will take place in the Steel City. The Steelers made two low-risk offseason additions in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, each of whom could lead the offense in 2024.

Wilson will turn 36 during the season and has looked a long way off the player who earned a 90.5 PFF overall grade in 2020.

Fields, the 11th-overall pick in 2021, couldn’t get his feet under him in Chicago, with the team opting to reset by selecting Caleb Williams first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Still, Fields has improved in each of his NFL seasons and is coming off a career-high 74.6 PFF overall grade in 2023.

Ideally, Fields will stick as the Steelers’ quarterback of the present and future, but either of these options would be an upgrade over last season.

Wilson is currently the only former Wisconsin quarterback on an NFL roster entering the 2024 season, though could be soon joined by Tanner Mordecai who the San Francisco 49ers signed after the 2024 NFL draft as an undrafted free agent.

Pittsburgh feels like the final chance for the Wisconsin legend as it grows increasingly unlikely he will ever rediscover his Super Bowl-winning form.

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Former Wisconsin center picked for breakout 2024 NFL season by PFF

Former Wisconsin OL included on All-Breakout offense by PFF

The 2024 NFL season is right around the corner and Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus released his All-Breakout Offense earlier this week. One notable inclusion: former Wisconsin Badgers center Joe Tippmann.

Tippmann was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft by the New York Jets and went on to appear in 16 contests during his rookie campaign. Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers is now set to return from the torn Achilles entering 2024, so plenty of eyes will be on Tippmann and the Jets’ offensive line.

The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since 2010, which is the longest drought in the league. Pair that with the fact that they’re in one of the most challenging divisions in the NFL. But Tippmann’s stellar play should aid Rodgers in his return as the Jets look to snap a long history of losing.

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Also joining New York this offseason was another former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen, who the team selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Wisconsin was also represented in PFF’s All-Defense Breakout Team with Steelers interior defensive lineman Keeanu Benton being included.

Former Wisconsin QB Jack Coan joins new professional football league for 2024

Jack Coan is still playing quarterback for a professional football team in 2024:

Former Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan has found a home in the Canadian Football League for the 2024 season.

He enters the season, his third as a professional, as the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ third-string quarterback.

Related: Ranking the highest rated recruits in the history of Wisconsin football

The Roughriders’ began their 2024 campaign on Saturday, June 8 with a 29-21 win over the Edmonton Elks. Coan did not appear in the contest.

The multiyear starter for the Badgers turned professional after the 2021 college football season. He was starting under center for Notre Dame at that point after transferring from the Badgers after the 2020 season.

Coan went undrafted during the 2022 NFL draft and spent the 2022 NFL season on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad. He bounced to the XFL for the 2023 season and has now found a new home in Canada.

The veteran quarterback threw for 3,278 yards with 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions over 19 games in 2018 and 2019 with the Badgers. He led the team to a 10-4 record in 2019; two of the losses came against an all-time great Ohio State team and one against the Justin Herbert-led Oregon Ducks.

Coan’s numbers with Wisconsin in 2019 — 69.6% completion,  2,727 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions — were the program’s best from a starting quarterback since Russell Wilson’s legendary 2011 season.

The accomplished college quarterback has struggled to excel as a professional. It’s possible this stop in Canada is what he needs to kickstart his career.

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Former Wisconsin OT Rob Havenstein receives low grade by PFF entering 2024 NFL season

Former Wisconsin OT Rob Havenstein receives low grade by PFF entering 2024 NFL season

Former Wisconsin and current Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Rob Havenstein was ranked No. 22 overall in ProFootballFocus’ recent ranking of all 64 NFL offensive tackles entering the 2024 season.

Havenstein, a nine-year NFL veteran with the Los Angeles Rams, is ranked behind players including the New York Jets’ Morgan Moses, Denver’s Garett Bolles, Baltimore’s Ronnie Stanley and Buffalo’s Dion Dawkins.

Following a down year in 2022, Havenstein posted a PFF overall grade over 79.0 in 2023. His 85.6 run-blocking grade ranked fourth for players eligible at his position.

The former First-team All-America selection at UW is entering his tenth NFL campaign with the Rams after being selected No. 57 overall in the 2015 NFL draft.

The 6-foot-8, 330-pound tackle was a member of Los Angeles’ 2021-22 Super Bowl-winning group. He has started 130 games at tackle with the Rams and played in a career-best 17 contests in 2022.

As one of the longest tenured Badgers in the NFL, Havenstein matched a school record with 54 career games played and helped UW set a school record for total offense at 480.8 yards per game during his fourth season in Madison in 2013.

With the emergence of running back Kyren Williams, creativity of head coach Sean McVay and the need to protect an aging Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles, the Rams’ offensive line will certainly need to perform in a top-heavy NFC West.

Former Wisconsin running back ranked in top 5 in NFL by PFF

Former Wisconsin running back ranked in top 5 in NFL by PFF

The 2024 NFL season is still many months away, but Pro Football Focus released its top 32 running backs this week. It listed a former Wisconsin Badgers football star in the top five.

Jonathan Taylor, currently with the Indianapolis Colts, was ranked as the third-best running back in the NFL on PFF’s list. Entering his fifth season in the league, Taylor is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he compiled 741 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground while also adding 153 receiving yards and a touchdown on 19 catches over 10 contests.

Taylor was dealing with an ankle injury and a contract dispute early in the season last year, but his production still remained rather impressive in the games he appeared in.

Operating in an offense with dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson, the running back could be in for a big year. Only Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry were ranked higher ahead of the 2024 season by PFF.

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Former Wisconsin TE Jake Ferguson receives average grade by PFF entering 2024 NFL season

Former Wisconsin TE Jake Ferguson receives average grade by PFF entering 2024 NFL season

Former Wisconsin and current Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was only No. 12 in ProFootballFocus’ recent ranking of all 32 NFL tight ends entering the 2024 season.

Ferguson finished the 2023 season with a PFF grade of 74.5, good for eighth-best at the position. PFF’s forecast has him down at No. 12, however, and ranked behind players including Chicago’s Cole Kmet, Jacksonville’s Evan Engram, Cleveland’s David Njoku and Arizona’s Trey McBride.

Related: Which Big Ten football team has the toughest 2024 schedule?

The former Badger is entering his third NFL season after the Dallas Cowboys selected him No. 129 overall in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

The rising star put together a breakout 2023 campaign as the team’s full-time starter, recording 71 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught 10 passes for 93 yards and three touchdowns in the Cowboys’ season-ending NFC Divisional Round loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Ferguson is finding NFL success after a four-year Wisconsin career that included 47 games, 145 receptions, 1,618 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns and around one million mentions of his relation to Wisconsin legend Barry Alvarez.

Here’s what PFF has to say about ranking Ferguson at No. 12 of 32 starting tight ends:

Ferguson performed well enough as a rookie in 2022 that the Cowboys were confident in his ability to play full-time in 2023. He delivered, as his 74.5 PFF grade was eighth best at the position, while his 1.49 yards per route run was 15th.

I’d bet on his role only increasing as he gains more experience and camaraderie with Cowboys QB Dak Prescott. A No. 12 ranking should feel low by the time the 2024 season concludes.

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Tanor Bortolini set for return to Wisconsin in 2024

Tanor Bortolini set for return to Wisconsin in 2024

National Football League schedule release day was May 15.

The Green Bay Packers will host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 of the 2024 season. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. Eastern kickoff at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin on September 15, 2024.

Related: Big Ten football 2024 season win-loss record predictions for each team after spring practice

That game means a return to the state of Wisconsin for former Badgers offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini.

The Colts selected Bortolini in the fourth round with the No. 117 pick of the 2024 NFL draft. His Wisconsin career finished after the 2023 season. It concluded with 27 starts for the Badgers over four years: 13 at center, 13 at left or right guard and one at tight end. He most recently started all 12 of the team’s games at center in 2023 and allowed one sack in 477 opportunities, according to PFF.

The former Badger enters his rookie season with the Colts likely as a backup at both guard positions. His versatility and athleticism should help him see the field for the Colts sooner rather than later.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to be a popular home for former Wisconsin Badgers

Can you name all six former Badgers currently on the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Former Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday evening, sending shockwaves through the NFL as the first big domino of the free-agent period.

Wilson will make just $1.2 million over the one-year deal from the Steelers — that while somehow still getting paid $39 million per year from the Broncos.

Related: Pre-spring bold predictions for the 2024 Big Ten football season

For Pittsburgh, the former Badger is an easy upgrade over Kenny Pickett and should make the Steelers contenders in the AFC North. For Wilson, this move was a badly-needed second chance after the disaster his tenure in Denver became.

The non-Wilson story here: the former Wisconsin signal-caller became yet another former Badger to join the Steelers. Here are all of those players now, up to a whopping total of six: