WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The 2024-25 NFL season is officially underway following NFL Kickoff Weekend, which concluded with the San Francisco 49ers defeating the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. Nine Purdue alumni saw game action in week one, matching the same number of Boilermakers from last season's opening week.
In the opening game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, Sanoussi Kane made his nationally televised rookie debut after being selected by Baltimore in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. George Karlaftis, the Chiefs' 2022 first round pick and now a back-to-back Super Bowl champion, notched two tackles (one solo) and a quarterback hit on Lamar Jackson.
Per Next Gen Stats, Karlaftis finished the night tied for the team lead with four quarterback pressures.
Entering his seventh season in the league, Boilermaker alum Ja'Whaun Bentley resumed his usual disruptive ways for the New England Patriots, leading the team with 12 tackles (seven solos) and adding a half-sack in the Pats' surprising upset on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals. Ahead of the game last week, the Patriots named the seventh-year linebacker a team captain.
On the other sideline, former Purdue receiver Charlie Jones has established himself as the Bengals' leading punt returner. He returned four punts for 22 yards and caught one pass for five yards on the afternoon.
Derrick Barnes, a Purdue standout linebacker from 2017-20, made his 24th career start for the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. He added four tackles (three solos) in a win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Against a stout Jacksonville Jaguars rushing defense that limited the Miami Dolphins to 81 yards on 25 carries (3.2 average), former Boilermaker running back Raheem Mostert totaled nine yards on six carries. Mostert led the league last season with 18 rushing touchdowns for the Dolphins.
A 2024 fifth round pick for the New York Giants, Tyrone Tracy Jr. made his pro debut and earned 20% of the snaps at running back, the second-largest share on the team. A huge contributor in head coach Ryan Walters' first season at Purdue, he rushed twice for two yards and caught one pass for five yards in his first NFL action.
Tight end Payne Durham, who appeared in 13 games with two starts last season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made his first appearance of his sophomore season on Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Cory Trice Jr., the former Purdue cornerback and 2023 seventh round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers, earned his first career snaps in Pittsburgh's week one win over the Atlanta Falcons. Trice missed the entire 2023 NFL season due to injury.
With nine players earning playing time on nine different teams, former Boilermakers went 6-3 in the first week of the season.
BOILERMAKERS AROUND THE NFL
• Ja'Whaun Bentley (New England) – 12 tackles (seven solos), a half-sack at Cincinnati
• George Karlaftis (Kansas City) – Two tackles (one solo), one QB hit, four QB pressures vs. Baltimore
• Derrick Barnes (Detroit) – Four tackles (three solos) vs. L.A. Rams
• Charlie Jones (Cincinnati) – Four punt returns for 22 yards, one catch for five yards vs. New England
• Raheem Mostert (Miami) – Six carries for nine yards vs. Jacksonville
• Tyrone Tracy Jr. (N.Y. Giants) – Two carries for two yards, one reception for five yards in his debut vs. Minnesota
• Sanoussi Kane (Baltimore) – Earned 20 special teams snaps in his debut at Kansas City
• Payne Durham (Tampa Bay) – Logged 17 offensive snaps, five special teams snaps vs. Washington
• Cory Trice Jr. (Pittsburgh) – Recorded seven defensive snaps and seven special teams snaps in first career game at Atlanta
• Aidan O'Connell (Las Vegas) – active, did not play at L.A. Chargers
• Anthony Brown (Carolina) – injured reserve
• Rondale Moore (Atlanta) – injured reserve
• Markus Bailey (Arizona) – practice squad
• Jalen Graham (Washington) – practice squad
• Reese Taylor (Denver) – practice squad
In the opening game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, Sanoussi Kane made his nationally televised rookie debut after being selected by Baltimore in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. George Karlaftis, the Chiefs' 2022 first round pick and now a back-to-back Super Bowl champion, notched two tackles (one solo) and a quarterback hit on Lamar Jackson.
Per Next Gen Stats, Karlaftis finished the night tied for the team lead with four quarterback pressures.
#Chiefs QB Pressures per Next Gen Stats
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) September 9, 2024
Chris Jones - 4
Tershawn Wharton - 4
George Karlaftis - 4
Leo Chenal - 3
Entering his seventh season in the league, Boilermaker alum Ja'Whaun Bentley resumed his usual disruptive ways for the New England Patriots, leading the team with 12 tackles (seven solos) and adding a half-sack in the Pats' surprising upset on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals. Ahead of the game last week, the Patriots named the seventh-year linebacker a team captain.
Rocking the C 🫡 pic.twitter.com/dCTpj0KriO
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 2, 2024
On the other sideline, former Purdue receiver Charlie Jones has established himself as the Bengals' leading punt returner. He returned four punts for 22 yards and caught one pass for five yards on the afternoon.
Derrick Barnes, a Purdue standout linebacker from 2017-20, made his 24th career start for the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. He added four tackles (three solos) in a win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Against a stout Jacksonville Jaguars rushing defense that limited the Miami Dolphins to 81 yards on 25 carries (3.2 average), former Boilermaker running back Raheem Mostert totaled nine yards on six carries. Mostert led the league last season with 18 rushing touchdowns for the Dolphins.
A 2024 fifth round pick for the New York Giants, Tyrone Tracy Jr. made his pro debut and earned 20% of the snaps at running back, the second-largest share on the team. A huge contributor in head coach Ryan Walters' first season at Purdue, he rushed twice for two yards and caught one pass for five yards in his first NFL action.
Tight end Payne Durham, who appeared in 13 games with two starts last season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made his first appearance of his sophomore season on Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Cory Trice Jr., the former Purdue cornerback and 2023 seventh round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers, earned his first career snaps in Pittsburgh's week one win over the Atlanta Falcons. Trice missed the entire 2023 NFL season due to injury.
With nine players earning playing time on nine different teams, former Boilermakers went 6-3 in the first week of the season.
BOILERMAKERS AROUND THE NFL
• Ja'Whaun Bentley (New England) – 12 tackles (seven solos), a half-sack at Cincinnati
• George Karlaftis (Kansas City) – Two tackles (one solo), one QB hit, four QB pressures vs. Baltimore
• Derrick Barnes (Detroit) – Four tackles (three solos) vs. L.A. Rams
• Charlie Jones (Cincinnati) – Four punt returns for 22 yards, one catch for five yards vs. New England
• Raheem Mostert (Miami) – Six carries for nine yards vs. Jacksonville
• Tyrone Tracy Jr. (N.Y. Giants) – Two carries for two yards, one reception for five yards in his debut vs. Minnesota
• Sanoussi Kane (Baltimore) – Earned 20 special teams snaps in his debut at Kansas City
• Payne Durham (Tampa Bay) – Logged 17 offensive snaps, five special teams snaps vs. Washington
• Cory Trice Jr. (Pittsburgh) – Recorded seven defensive snaps and seven special teams snaps in first career game at Atlanta
• Aidan O'Connell (Las Vegas) – active, did not play at L.A. Chargers
• Anthony Brown (Carolina) – injured reserve
• Rondale Moore (Atlanta) – injured reserve
• Markus Bailey (Arizona) – practice squad
• Jalen Graham (Washington) – practice squad
• Reese Taylor (Denver) – practice squad