Quarterback Aaron Rodgers continued his late-season surge to lift Pittsburgh to a 28-15 home win over Miami on Monday Night Football to highlight performances by former California football players during Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season. Rodgers had the second-best completion percentage (23-of-27, 85.2%, 224, 2 TD, 0 INT, 125.9 rating) over 254 career starts in the victory that keeps the Steelers on top in the AFC North.
Rodgers will square off with fellow former Golden Bears' signal-caller Jared Goff in Detroit in a Week 16 game on Sunday (1:25 pm PT, CBS). The Steelers enter the contest with an 8-6 record and a one-game lead on Baltimore (7-7) in the AFC North title race, while Goff and the Lions are also 8-6 but two games behind NFC North leader Chicago.(10-4). Detroit also trails Green Bay (9-4-1) for the seventh and final NFC playoff spot by 1.5 games. Goff and Rodgers have met in five NFL regular-season games all-time with Goff winning three and Rodgers winning twice. Goff helped the Lions to a 20-16 Week 18 road victory at Lambeau Field the last time they met in the 2022 regular-season finale for both teams on Jan. 8, 2023. The loss kept Green Bay from reaching the playoffs and marked Rodgers' final contest in 18 seasons with the organization.
Rodgers is one of eight former Cal players on active rosters of teams currently in playoff spots with three weeks to go in the NFL's 2025 regular season. Four others are also on AFC squads, including New England starting safeties Jaylinn Hawkins and
Craig Woodson (11-3, No. 2), Jacksonville offensive lineman Patrick Mekari (10-4, No. 3) and Los Angeles Chargers' wide receiver Keenan Allen (10-4, No. 5). In the NFC, the list includes the trio of Chicago defensive back Elijah Hicks (10-4, No. 2), San Francisco tight end Jake Tonges (10-4, No. 6) and Green Bay running back Chris Brooks (9-4-1, No. 7).
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Five others on active rosters are currently outside of playoff position heading into Week 16 but still have a chance to reach the postseason. That list includes Indianapolis cornerback Camryn Bynum (8-6, No. 8) and Baltimore linebacker
Teddye Buchanan (7-7, No. 9) in the AFC, although the 2025 season came to an end in Week 15 for Buchanan when he suffered a season-ending injury by tearing the ACL in his right knee in a 24-0 win at Cincinnati. The trio of Goff (8-6, No. 8), Carolina offensive lineman Jake Curhan (7-7, No. 9) and Dallas punter Bryan Anger (6-7-1, No. 10) remain in the playoff hunt in the NFC.
Cal also has three coaches – Chicago assistant defensive backs and safeties Matt Giordano (10-4, No. 2 NFC), Denver offensive pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Davis Webb (12-2, No. 1 AFC) and Green Bay assistant special teams coach Byron Storer (9-4-1, No. 7 NFC) – on teams currently in playoff spots.
A total of 25 former Golden Bears are currently affiliated with NFL teams, including 19 on active rosters, one on injured reserve, and one on a practice squad, as well as four members of coaching staffs. The latest updates on each of your fellow former Golden Bears are below. Click on each name to access the primary Pro Football Reference page for players and team bios for coaches.
ACTIVE ROSTER (19)
Keenan Allen – WR, Los Angeles Chargers (10-4, No. 5 AFC, 2nd AFC West): Allen had five receptions for 36 yards in a 16-13 Week 15 road win at Kansas City. He now has 68 receptions, 680 yards receiving and four scoring grabs in his 13th NFL season overall and 12th campaign with the Chargers in 2025, which has included becoming the fastest player in NFL history and the 16th overall to reach 1,000 or more career receptions during a Week 5 home loss to Washington, achieving season highs of 11 receptions and 119 yards receiving along with one touchdown grab in a 38-24 Week 7 home loss to Indianapolis, and becoming the all-time leader in receptions in Chargers' franchise history during a 25-10 Week 10 home victory over Pittsburgh.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 10 am – at Dallas (6-7-1) – FOX
Bryan Anger – P, Dallas (6-7-1, No. 10 NFC, 2nd NFC East): Anger punted once for 42 yards (42.0 net) in a 34-26 Week 15 home loss to Minnesota. Anger has punted 37 times (second-fewest of any punter who has played in all 14 games) for 1,789 yards in 2025 to rank 11th in the NFL with a 48.4 yards per punt average, while he is 10th with a 42.4 net. He also has 13 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line and forced 12 fair catches.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 10 am – vs. Los Angeles Chargers (10-4) – FOX
Chris Brooks – RB, Green Bay (9-4-1, No. 7 NFC, 2nd NFC North): Brooks contributed two rushes for 10 yards, one reception for six yards and two special teams tackles in a 34-26 Week 15 road loss at Denver. Brooks has contributed career highs of 12 receptions and 80 yards receiving, 13 rushes for 41 yards and a career-high 12 tackles in 2025, while playing in all 14 games off the bench.
Week 16 – Sat., Dec. 20, 5:20 pm – at Chicago (10-4) – FOX
Teddye Buchanan – LB, Baltimore (7-7, No. 9 AFC, 2nd AFC North): Buchanan suffered a season-ending injury when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee in a 28-0 Week 15 win at Cincinnati. Buchanan made a pair of tackles before suffering the injury while on a punt coverage team late in the first quarter. Buchanan played in each of the team's first 14 games in 2025 with starts in each of the last 13 as a 2025 NFL rookie and is second on his team with 93 tackles while adding five tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks (-2.5 yards), one forced fumble, two quarterback hits and one pass defended. Buchanan was the AFC's Defensive Rookie of the Month for October with a combined 30 tackles, four tackles for loss and one quarterback hit in three contests, including a career-high 15 tackles and one tackle for loss in a 44-10 Week 5 home loss to Houston.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 5:20 pm – vs. New England (11-3) – NBC
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Camryn Bynum – S, Indianapolis (8-6, No. 8 AFC, 3rd AFC South): Bynum had eight tackles in an 18-16 Week 15 road loss at Seattle. In his first 14 games of 2025 (all starts), Bynum has 65 tackles, a team-high-tying three interceptions that are also tied for 15th in the NFL and that he has returned 14 yards, 1.0 sack (-15 yards), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a team-high-tying seven pass defenses
Week 16 – Mon., Dec. 22, 5:15 pm – vs. San Francisco (10-4) – ESPN
Jake Curhan – OT, Carolina (7-7, No. 9 NFC, 1st-T NFC South): Curhan came off the bench and participated in six plays (3 offense, 3 special teams) in a 20-17 Week 15 road loss at New Orleans. In a Week 13 game prior to a Week 14 bye, Curhan had made his first start of the season and played in all 64 offensive snaps in a 31-28 home victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Curhan has played in each of Carolina's last 10 games with the one start after the Panthers claimed him from the Arizona practice squad then made his Carolina debut in a 27-24 Week 5 home win over Miami. He has played in a total of 11 games in 2025 including one for the Cardinals in a 16-15 Week 3 loss at San Francisco.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 10 am – vs. Tampa Bay (7-7) – FOX
Ashtyn Davis – S, Miami (6-8, No. 11 AFC, 3rd AFC East): Davis registered six tackles while making his fourth consecutive start in a 28-15 Week 15 road loss at Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football. Davis has 51 tackles, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and two pass defenses over 12 games played and nine starts during the 2025 season after signing a one-year contract with the Dolphins prior to the campaign following five seasons with the New York Jets (2020-24).
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 10 am – vs. Cincinnati (4-10) – CBS
Jared Goff – QB, Detroit (8-6, No. 8 NFC, 3rd NFC North): Goff completed 25-of-41 passes for 338 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 111.6 rating in a 41-34 Week 15 road loss at his former team the Los Angeles Rams. With the loss, the Lions fell two games behind NFC North Division leader Chicago and one and a half behind Green Bay (9-4-1) for the final NFC Wild Card berth. Goff is second in the NFL in rating (110.4) and touchdown passes (29), third in passing yards (3672), fourth in completion percentage (69.3%) and eighth in attempts (453) over his first 14 games in 2025 (all starts). Goff's 2025 season has included an NFC Offensive Player of the Week performance in a 52-21 Week 2 home win over Chicago when he was 23-of-28 for 334 yards with five touchdown passes and no interceptions for a 156.0 rating, with his five touchdown passes equaling a career high and the rating his third-best ever in a game.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 1:25 pm – vs. Pittsburgh (8-6) – CBS
Cameron Goode – LB, Miami (6-8, No. 11 AFC, 3rd AFC East): Goode recorded a pair of tackles with one on defense and one on special teams while playing 25 plays (7 defense, 18 special teams) in a 28-15 Week 15 road loss at Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football. Goode has played in all 14 games of the 2025 season off the bench and contributed a career-high 14 tackles, as well as his first career pass defense.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 10 am – vs. Cincinnati (4-10) – CBS
Marcus Harris – CB, Tennessee (2-12, No. 16 AFC, 4th AFC South): Harris had a career-high seven tackles, his first career tackle for loss and one pass defense in a 37-24 Week 15 road loss at San Francisco. Harris has started each of the last four games at cornerback and played every defensive snap in two of the last three. He has played in 13 of 14 games overall in 2025 including the four starts and contributed 27 tackles, one tackle for loss, five pass defenses, one forced fumble and one blocked extra-point recovery.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 10 am – vs. Kansas City (6-8) – CBS
Jaylinn Hawkins – S, New England (11-3, No. 2 AFC, 1st AFC East): Hawkins had a career-high-tying, season-high and game-high 11 tackles along with one pass defense in a 35-31 Week 15 home loss to Buffalo that ended the Patriots' win streak at 10 and dropped their lead over the Bills for the top spot in the AFC East to a single game. Hawkins has played in and started 12 of 14 possible games in 2025, while playing every defensive snap nine times including each of the last four. Hawkins has contributed 62 tackles, two interceptions that he has returned one yard, 1.5 sacks (-9 yards), three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, four pass defenses and one fumble recovery. His 2025 season has included a one-handed interception in a 32-13 Week 8 home win against Cleveland that went viral and was called among the best in NFL history.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 5:20 pm – at Baltimore (7-7) – NBC
Elijah Hicks – S, Chicago (10-4, No. 2 NFC, 1st NFC North): Hicks contributed two tackles while participating in season highs of 19 defensive snaps and 34 plays overall in a 31-3 Week 15 home win over Cleveland. Hicks has contributed 15 tackles in 2025 while playing in all 14 games all off the bench and primarily on special teams.
Week 16 – Sat., Dec. 20, 5:20 pm – vs. Green Bay (9-4-1) – FOX
Cameron Jordan – DE, New Orleans (4-10, No. 13 NFC, 4th NFC South): Jordan had three tackles in a 20-17 Week 15 home win that was the Saints' second straight victory and third in the last five games after starting the season 1-8. Jordan's 2025 signature game came in a 21-17 Week 13 loss at Miami when he had four tackles, 2.0 sacks (-12 yards), two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. The 2.0 sacks were his most in a game since he also had 2.0 in a 20-19 Week 15 home loss to Washington in 2024. Jordan has started each of the first 14 games of the 2025 season, his 15th in the NFL all with New Orleans, and compiled 34 tackles, team highs of 6.5 sacks (team-high 50.5 yards) and nine tackles for loss, as well as nine quarterback hits, two pass defenses, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 10 am – vs. New York Jets (3-11) – CBS
Patrick Mekari – OL, Jacksonville (10-4, No. 3 AFC, 1st AFC South): Mekari played in all 62 offensive snaps and made a tackle after a 25-yard fumble return at the Jaguars' own 16-yard line in a 48-20 Week 15 home win over the New York Jets. Mekari has played in and started 13 of 14 games all at right guard in 2025, taking every offensive snap eight times and 89% or more on 12 occasions.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 1:05 pm – at Denver (12-2) – FOX
Nikko Remigio – WR/RET, Kansas City (6-8, No. 10 AFC, 3rd AFC West): Remigio tied a season-high with four kick returns for 102 yards that were the third-most kick return yards of his career and also added one punt return for zero yards in a 16-13 Week 15 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Remigio also took a single snap at wide receiver against the Chargers after playing exclusively as a returner in each of his previous four games and also missing Week 14 due to injury. Remigio has played in a career-high 13 of 14 games all off the bench in 2025 and is second on the team with a career-high 838 combined yards, while leading the club in both kickoff (25-646) and punt (23-160) returns with his 23 punt returns tied for fifth in the NFL He has also added one reception for 21 yards and one rush for 11 yards.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 10 am – at Tennessee (2-12) – CBS
Aaron Rodgers – QB, Pittsburgh (8-6, No. 4 AFC, 1st AFC North): Rodgers completed 23-of-27 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 125.9 rating in a 28-15 Week 15 home victory over Miami on Monday Night Football that kept the Steelers one game ahead of Baltimore in the hunt for the AFC North Division title. Rodgers' 85.2 completion percentage against the Dolphins was the second-best of his career in a starting role. Rodgers has started and played in 13 of 15 games in 2025 and completed 248-of-371 (66.8%) passes for 2594 yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions for a 98.8 rating with his rating his highest since posting a 111.9 mark the season he earned his fourth and most recent Associated Press MVP honor in 2021 while still with Green Bay. In his Steelers' debut in Week 1, Rodgers led Pittsburgh to a 34-32 comeback road win in the house of his other former team, the New York Jets, by completing 22-of-30 passes for 244 yards with a season-high-tying four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 136.7 rating that was his best in a game since the 2022 campaign. He also threw for four touchdowns in a 33-31 Week 7 loss at Cincinnati.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 1:25 pm – at Detroit (8-6) – CBS
Jake Tonges, TE, San Francisco (10-4, No. 6 NFC, 3rd NFC West): Tonges, who received extensive action when starting tight end George Kittle missed five of the first eight games, has played in 14 games with one start in 2025 and contributed all of his career offensive stats with 26 receptions for 226 yards receiving and four touchdown catches. His 2025 season has had several highlights including a heroic performance in a 17-13 Week 1 victory at Seattle when he made a game-winning acrobatic four-yard touchdown catch in the end zone on the 49ers' final drive, his first career start and six catches for a career-high-tying 58 yards receiving in a 16-15 Week 3 win over Arizona, a career-high seven receptions for 41 yards including a six-yard touchdown catch for the game's opening score in a 26-23 Week 5 overtime win at the Los Angeles Rams, six receptions for a career-high-tying 58 yards receiving in a 30-19 Week 6 loss at Tampa Bay, and a 2-yard touchdown catch in a 26-15 Week 8 loss at Houston.
Week 16 – Mon., Dec. 22, 5:15 pm – at Indianapolis (8-6) – ESPN
Nohl Williams – CB, Kansas City (6-8, No. 10 AFC, 3rd AFC West): Williams made his second career start and contributed four tackles while taking a career-high all 66 defensive snaps and adding another 17 on special teams for a career-high 83 plays total in a 16-13 Week 15 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Williams has played in each of the first 14 games of his 2025 NFL rookie season with two starts and registered 32 tackles and five pass defenses.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 10 am – at Tennessee (2-12) – CBS
Craig Woodson – S, New England (11-3, No. 2 AFC, 1st AFC East): Woodson had seven tackles in a 35-31 Week 15 home loss to Buffalo that ended the Patriots' win streak at 10 and dropped their lead over the Bills for the top spot in the AFC East to a single game. Woodson has played in each of the first 14 games with 13 starts as a 2025 NFL rookie, totaling 70 tackles that rank third on the team, four tackles for loss, three pass defenses and one fumble recovery.
Week 16 – Sun., Dec. 21, 5:20 pm – at Baltimore (7-7) – NBC
*All Times Pacific
INJURED LIST (1)
Daniel Scott – S, Indianapolis (8-6, No. 8 AFC, 3rd AFC South)
PRACTICE SQUAD (1)
Jackson Sirmon, OLB, New York Jets (3-11, No. 13 AFC, 4th AFC East)
COACHES (4)
Austin Clark – Defensive Line Coach, Miami (6-8, No. 11 AFC, 3rd AFC East)
Matt Giordano – Assistant Defensive Backs And Safeties, Chicago (10-4, No. 2 NFC, 1st NFC North)
Bryon Storer – Assistant Special Teams Coach, Green Bay (9-4-1, No. 7 NFC, 2nd NFC North)
Davis Webb – Quarterbacks Coach, Denver (12-2, No. 1 AFC, 1st AFC West)
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