North Carolina State University Athletics
23 #PackPros on NFL Rosters to Start 2019 Season
9/4/2019 10:40:00 AM | Football
NC State leads all schools with three starting QBs
RALEIGH, N.C. – A total of 23 former NC State players will start the 2019 season on NFL rosters, including five quarterbacks, three that won starting jobs.
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Philip Rivers (Los Angeles Chargers) and Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) have both started every game for their teams going back to Wilson's rookie season in 2012. Rivers is entering his 16th NFL season, and his 14th as a starter. Rivers has led the Chargers into the playoffs each of the last three seasons. Wilson enters his eighth season in the NFL, and he has started every game during his career and made the playoffs five times.
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With Andrew Luck's retirement, Jacoby Brissett takes over in Indianapolis. Brissett is in his fourth season, and 2019 marks the second season he is the Colts starter (15 starts in 2017).
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The Pack's three starting QBs will earn a combined $70.8 million this season (Wilson - $35 million, Rivers $20.8 million and Brissett $15 million). NC State's three starting QBs leads all schools, as only Cal and Oklahoma have more then one as well.
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Another pair of former Pack QBs will start the season as back-ups with their respective clubs. Mike Glennon is going into his seventh NFL season, and his first with the Arizona Cardinals. Ryan Finley was a fourth round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals after serving as the Pack's starting QB the previous three seasons.
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Along with Finley, three other members of the 2018 Wolfpack squad were selected in the most recent NFL Draft. Garrett Bradbury was a first round selection of the Minnesota Vikings, and won the starting center spot. LB Germaine Pratt will join Finley in Cincinnati after being selected in the third round, while WR Kelvin Harmon was a sixth round pick of the Washington Redskins.
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A pair of Pack rookies were training camp surprises, going from undrafted free agents to making the 53-man squads. A.J. Cole, III, won the starting punting job with the Oakland Raiders, while WR Jakobi Meyers earned a spot with the New England Patriots.
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Bradley Chubb was named to the 2018 NFL All-Rookie Team, after starting all 16 games in his first NFL season with the Denver Broncos and finishing with 11.5 sacks. His fellow D-Line mates at NC State, B.J. Hill (New York Giants) and Justin Jones (Los Angeles Chargers) both are projected as starters at defensive tackle for their teams in their second seasons.
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Nyheim Hines (Indianapolis Colts) and Jaylen Samuels (Pittsburgh Steelers) combined for 1,194 total yards and seven touchdowns in their rookie seasons last year, both working as running backs.
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Will Richardson missed his entire rookie season with an injury, but now is listed as a co-starter at right guard with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Three seasons in the NFL, three Super Bowl trips for Joe Thuney, a new NFL record. Thuney remains as the Patriots starting left guard, a spot he has held in every game of his NFL career.
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Stephen Hauschka recently signed a new two-year deal with the Buffalo Bills, and enters his 12th NFL season and third in Buffalo. J.R. Sweezy enters his seventh NFL season as the starting right guard for the Arizona Cardinals, while Ted Larsen is a back-up guard with the Chicago Bears, his 10th NFL season.
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DL Kentavius Street will start the season on the Injured Reserve List with the San Francisco 49ers, he will be eligible to return later in the season. RB Matthew Dayes was placed on the New Orleans Saints Injured List during training camp.
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OT Tyler Jones signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent, but was cut during training camp. He signed late with the Denver Broncos, and was offered a spot on their practice squad.
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NC State has enjoyed back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2017 and 2018, and a lot of former Wolfpack players are reaping that success on the pro level. A total of 14 former Wolfpack players that played during those two seasons find themselves on 2019 NFL rosters this season.
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The Pack had a school record seven players selected in the 2018 NFL draft, and all seven are currently in their second season in the NFL.
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This past spring, another four players were drafted by NFL clubs. In addition to those four, three that were on the Pack's 2018 squad made NFL teams as rookie free agents and brings the Pack's total of NFL rookies to seven for the 2019 season.
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Philip Rivers (Los Angeles Chargers) and Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) have both started every game for their teams going back to Wilson's rookie season in 2012. Rivers is entering his 16th NFL season, and his 14th as a starter. Rivers has led the Chargers into the playoffs each of the last three seasons. Wilson enters his eighth season in the NFL, and he has started every game during his career and made the playoffs five times.
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With Andrew Luck's retirement, Jacoby Brissett takes over in Indianapolis. Brissett is in his fourth season, and 2019 marks the second season he is the Colts starter (15 starts in 2017).
Â
The Pack's three starting QBs will earn a combined $70.8 million this season (Wilson - $35 million, Rivers $20.8 million and Brissett $15 million). NC State's three starting QBs leads all schools, as only Cal and Oklahoma have more then one as well.
Â
Another pair of former Pack QBs will start the season as back-ups with their respective clubs. Mike Glennon is going into his seventh NFL season, and his first with the Arizona Cardinals. Ryan Finley was a fourth round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals after serving as the Pack's starting QB the previous three seasons.
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Along with Finley, three other members of the 2018 Wolfpack squad were selected in the most recent NFL Draft. Garrett Bradbury was a first round selection of the Minnesota Vikings, and won the starting center spot. LB Germaine Pratt will join Finley in Cincinnati after being selected in the third round, while WR Kelvin Harmon was a sixth round pick of the Washington Redskins.
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A pair of Pack rookies were training camp surprises, going from undrafted free agents to making the 53-man squads. A.J. Cole, III, won the starting punting job with the Oakland Raiders, while WR Jakobi Meyers earned a spot with the New England Patriots.
Â
Bradley Chubb was named to the 2018 NFL All-Rookie Team, after starting all 16 games in his first NFL season with the Denver Broncos and finishing with 11.5 sacks. His fellow D-Line mates at NC State, B.J. Hill (New York Giants) and Justin Jones (Los Angeles Chargers) both are projected as starters at defensive tackle for their teams in their second seasons.
Â
Nyheim Hines (Indianapolis Colts) and Jaylen Samuels (Pittsburgh Steelers) combined for 1,194 total yards and seven touchdowns in their rookie seasons last year, both working as running backs.
Â
Will Richardson missed his entire rookie season with an injury, but now is listed as a co-starter at right guard with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Â
Three seasons in the NFL, three Super Bowl trips for Joe Thuney, a new NFL record. Thuney remains as the Patriots starting left guard, a spot he has held in every game of his NFL career.
Â
Stephen Hauschka recently signed a new two-year deal with the Buffalo Bills, and enters his 12th NFL season and third in Buffalo. J.R. Sweezy enters his seventh NFL season as the starting right guard for the Arizona Cardinals, while Ted Larsen is a back-up guard with the Chicago Bears, his 10th NFL season.
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DL Kentavius Street will start the season on the Injured Reserve List with the San Francisco 49ers, he will be eligible to return later in the season. RB Matthew Dayes was placed on the New Orleans Saints Injured List during training camp.
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OT Tyler Jones signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent, but was cut during training camp. He signed late with the Denver Broncos, and was offered a spot on their practice squad.
Â
NC State has enjoyed back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2017 and 2018, and a lot of former Wolfpack players are reaping that success on the pro level. A total of 14 former Wolfpack players that played during those two seasons find themselves on 2019 NFL rosters this season.
Â
The Pack had a school record seven players selected in the 2018 NFL draft, and all seven are currently in their second season in the NFL.
Â
This past spring, another four players were drafted by NFL clubs. In addition to those four, three that were on the Pack's 2018 squad made NFL teams as rookie free agents and brings the Pack's total of NFL rookies to seven for the 2019 season.
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Players Mentioned
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