Quarterback Aaron Rodgers led Pittsburgh to a wild 26-24 victory over Baltimore in the final regular-season game of the 2025 NFL campaign on Sunday evening to give Cal nine former players on active rosters of the league's playoff teams. Rodgers qualified for the playoffs in his first season with the Steelers and the 13th time in his career.

Pittsburgh trailed twice in the final period but Rodgers led the Steelers on touchdown drives in each of their final two possessions to secure the 25th fourth-quarter comeback victory of his career that also gave Pittsburgh the AFC North crown. He connected with Calvin Austin III on a game-winning 26-yard touchdown pass with 1:00 remaining for the game-winning score. Baltimore's Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard-field goal on the game's final play.

Rodgers was 8-for-10 for 108 yards and the touchdown on the final two drives and finished 31-of-47 for 294 yards with the touchdown and no interceptions. 
 

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The other eight former Golden Bears on active rosters of teams in the 2025 NFL playoffs are Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers), Chris Brooks (Green Bay), Jake Curhan (Carolina), Jaylinn Hawkins (New England), Elijah Hicks (Chicago), Patrick Mekari (Jacksonville), Jake Tonges (San Francisco) and Craig Woodson (New England).

All nine former Cal players are on teams that will participate in the Wild Card Weekend this Sat-Mon., Jan. 10-12. The Bears will have at least one former player in each of the six scheduled games with Curhan the first when NFC South champion and No. 4 NFC playoff seed Carolina (8-9) hosts the Los Angeles Rams (12-5) on Saturday (1:30 p.m., FOX). Chris Brooks and No. 7 NFC seed Green Bay (9-7-1) will also be in action Saturday when the Packers visit NFC North champ and No. 2 Chicago (11-6). The Packers and Bears will kick off at 5 p.m. on Prime.

Mekari will be the first in action Sunday when No. 3 AFC seed and AFC South champion Jacksonville (13-4) hosts No. 6 Buffalo (12-5) on CBS (10 a.m.). Tonges and No. 6 NFC seeded San Francisco (12-5) are next up Sunday at NFC East winner and No. 3 Philadelphia (11-6) at 1:30 p.m. on FOX. Saturday's final game will feature a trio of former Cal players with Keenan Allen and the No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) visiting a No. 2 New England (14-3) squad that features a pair of former Bears as the starting safeties in Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson. The Chargers and Patriots kick off at 5 p.m. on NBC.

Rodgers and the AFC North champion No. 4-seeded Steelers (9-7) will wrap up Wild Card Weekend by hosting No. 5 Houston (12-5) on Monday at 5 p.m. on ESPN.  

Three other former Cal football players - Matt Giordano (Chicago), Byron Storer (Green Bay) and Davis Webb (Denver) - are coaches for teams in the NFL playoffs to bring the total number of Cal affiliates to 12.