Former Cardinal gear up for NFL season

Stanford has a rich tradition of success in the NFL, and that tradition is still alive entering the 2024 NFL season. There are 27 former Cardinal actively signed with NFL organizations, including several prominent players.

Christian McCaffrey is at the top of the list. He has become one of the most valuable players in the league following his trade from the Carolina Panthers to the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. His performance reached new levels in 2023, leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,459) and scoring 21 touchdowns en route to winning the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award.

During the season, McCaffrey tied a 60-year-old NFL record for the most consecutive games with a touchdown by scoring in 17 straight games, tying the mark that Lenny Moore set from 1963-64. McCaffrey reached Super Bowl LVIII with San Francisco and was in the conversation for Super Bowl MVP after compiling 160 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.

One of the best tacklers in the league is a former Cardinal. Bobby Okereke joined the New York Giants last season and finished ninth in the NFL in total tackles with 149. He also set career highs in forced fumbles (4.5), sacks (2.5) and tied a career-best with two interceptions.

Okereke joins Harrison Phillips of the Minnesota Vikings as former Cardinal to be named team captains in 2024.

Paulson Adebo was one of the leaders of a solid New Orleans Saints defense last season, tying for seventh in the league with four interceptions. The third-year cornerback also set a career-high with 76 tackles and 18 passes defended, more than doubling his career numbers in that department. 

Staying on the defensive side of the ball, Justin Reid became the 19th former Cardinal to appear in multiple Super Bowls by roaming the secondary for the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII against McCaffrey and the 49ers. With the Chiefs win, he became the fourth Stanford alum to win back-to-back Super Bowls, joining John Elway, Darrien Gordon, and Ed McCaffrey, who all did it with the 1997-98 Denver Broncos.

Several former Card tight ends switched teams in the offseason. Zach Ertz joins the Washington Commanders in advance of his 12th season in the league. Another member of Tight End U, Austin Hooper, heads east and joins the New England Patriots. A third tight end swapped teams, with Colby Parkinson joining Joshua Karty with the Los Angeles Rams.

Thomas Booker (Philadelphia Eagles), Andrus Peat (Las Vegas Raiders) and Casey Toohill (Buffalo Bills) also joined new squads in the offseason.