24 #PackPros Open 2020 Season on NFL Rosters

RALEIGH, N.C. – A total of 24 former NC State football players will start the 2020 season on NFL rosters, which includes 23 on a team's 53-man roster and one on a practice squad.

Unable to get a long-term deal done this offseason, Joe Thuney will play under the franchise tag ($14.78 million) this season with the New England Patriots. He was named to the All-Pro second-team last season, and has started all 64 games he has played in during his four-year NFL career.

Another 2019 All-Pro second-team selection among former NC State players, QB Russell Wilson enters his ninth season as the starter with the Seattle Seahawks – having started all 128 games in his career. Prior to 2019, Wilson signed a 4-year, $140-million contract extension which made him the highest paid player in the NFL at the time.

After playing his first 16 seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, QB Philip Rivers signed a 1-year, $25-million contract with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason. Rivers has started every game in every season dating back to 2006, and enters 2020 ranked sixth all-time in NFL history in both yards passing (59,271) and passing TDs (397).

Another former Pack QB, Jacoby Brissett, will back-up Rivers this season in Indianapolis. Brissett enters his fifth season in the NFL, his fourth with the Colts. Last season, he started 15 games and threw for 2,942 yards and 18 TDs.

Also at 'NC State-North' in Indianapolis, RB Nyheim Hines enters his third season with the Colts. Last season in Week 16 against the Panthers, he returned a pair of punts for a touchdown – 84 yards and 71 yards.

After being limited to just four games last season due to an ACL team, Bradley Chubb will be back in action with the Denver Broncos for this third NFL season. The No. 5 overall selection in 2018, Chubb started all 16 games as a rookie and finished with 12 sacks.

Fellow first round draft pick, Garrett Bradbury, returns as the starting center for the Minnesota Vikings. As a rookie last season, Bradbury started all 16 games.

Another pair of second-year players are also slated to be starters in 2020. A.J. Cole, III won the Las Vegas Raiders punting job in camp last season as an undrafted rookie free agent, and once again holds that position as the Raiders open their new stadium this season. Germaine Pratt was a third round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals last season, and as a rookie made nine starts and finished with 76 tackles in 16 games player.

Another undrafted rookie free agent from 2020, Jakobi Meyers returns to the New England Patriots at wide receiver. Last season, he had 26 catches for 359 yards as a slot receiver.

After being selected in the fourth round of the draft last season, QB Ryan Finley starts 2020 as the back-up to No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow with the Cincinnati Bengals. As a rookie, Finley started three games last season for the Bengals.

A trio of Pack defensive linemen drafted in 2018 with Chubb, all enter this third seasons with the teams that drafted them. Justin Jones started all 12 games he played in last season with the Los Angeles Chargers. B.J. Hill had five starts with the New York Giants, and Kentavius Street was limited to three games with the San Francisco 49ers due to injury.

Jaylen Samuels enters his third season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Playing under position coach and former NC State assistant Eddie Faulkner, Pittsburgh also added for Pack offensive coordinator Matt Canada as the QB coach this offseason.

Juston Burris enters his fifth NFL season with a new squad, as he signed a 2-year, $8-million deal with the Carolina Panthers this offseason. Last year with the Cleveland Browns, he started a career-best nine games at safety.

Guard J.R. Sweezy enters his ninth NFL season, his second with the Arizona Cardinals. He started all 16 games at right guard last season, and has 91 starts in the last six seasons he played (he missed the 2016 season).

A pair of former Pack players both made the 53-man squad with the Jacksonville Jaguars. OT Will Richardson enters this third season with the team, while safety Josh Jones was claimed off waivers by Jaguars in December after being released by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Pack had a pair of defensive linemen drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, and both made the 53-man roster for the teams that selected them. Larrell Murchison was a fifth round draft choice by the Tennessee Titans while linemate James Smith-Williams went in the seventh round to the Washington Football Team.

This year, practice squads not only expanded to 16 players, but there are no years of service limitations as in previous seasons. Dontae Johnson signed on the practice squad with the San Francisco 49ers.

After signing with the practice squad, Mike Glennon was already promoted to the 53-man roster of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

WR Kelvin Harmon tore his ACL in the offseason, and will miss the 2020 season. Last year as a rookie in Washington, Harmon had 30 catches for 365 yards, playing all 16 games and making eight starts.

North Carolina State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Garrett Bradbury

Bradley Chubb

Ryan Finley

Kelvin Harmon

B.J. Hill

Nyheim Hines

Justin Jones

Jakobi Meyers

Larrell Murchison

Germaine Pratt

Will Richardson

Jaylen Samuels

James Smith-Williams

Kentavius Street

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