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The 22 former Illinois Fighting Illini football players who made NFL rosters in 2025
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- The 22 former Illinois Fighting Illini football players who made NFL rosters in 2025
The 32 teams in the NFL trimmed their rosters to 53 players each on Tuesday.
Among the nearly 1,700 players who made the cut are 22 from the University of Illinois . Here is a look at each of the former Illini, their team, along with their position and role headed into 2025. Also listed are the four players on practice squads as of Sept. 1.
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Isaiah Adams , Arizona Cardinals
The 6-foot-4, 316-pounder, a third-round draft pick last season, is back with the Cardinals. Adams is listed as the starting right guard.
Tony Adams , New York Jets
The 5-foot-11, 203-pounder is a starting free safety. The undrafted Adams has played 41 games and is starting his fourth season with the Jets.
Nick Allegretti , Washington Commanders
The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder is a reserve guard in his second season with the Commanders. He played the previous five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs , who drafted him in the seventh round in 2019.
Chase Brown , Cincinnati Bengals
Aug 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Adoree' Jackson (8) tackles Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) after his catch during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The 5-foot-10, 211-pound running back is in his third year with the Bengals, who picked him in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. Brown is expected to lead the Cincy backfield and is a breakout candidate in 2025.
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Sydney Brown , Philadelphia Eagles
The 5-foot-10, 211-pound starting safety is entering his third season with the Eagles. He missed the start of last season with an injury, but has grown into a key part of the Philly secondary.
Pat Bryant , Denver Broncos
The 6-foot-2, 204-pounder is part of an receiving corps for up-and-coming quarterback Bo Nix in Denver. Bryant is a rookie, selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Tommy DeVito , New England Patriots
The 6-foot, 210-pounder is the No. 3 quarterback for the Patriots, picked up after he was cut by the New York Giants after the preseason. He has played 12 games across two seasons, completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,358 yards, eight TDs and three INTs.
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Jake Hansen, Houston Texans
The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder is a reserve linebacker in his fourth season. The undrafted free agent has played 41 games in three seasons in Houston.
Nate Hobbs , Green Bay Packers
The 6-foot, 195-pound cornerback is the starting cornerback in his fifth season overall and first with the Packers. The 2021 fifth-round draft pick played 40 games with the Raiders .
Kerby Joseph , Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) takes a selfie with a young fan after joint practice with the Miami Dolphins at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
The 6-foot-1, 203-pounder is the starting free safety heading into his fourth season. The 2022 third-round draft pick has 17 interceptions and 247 tackles in 49 games for the Lions. He led the NFL with nine interceptions in 2024.
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Ted Karras , Cincinnati Bengals
The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder is the starting center in his 10th NFL season and fourth with the Bengals. The 2016 sixth-round pick previously played with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins and has started 99 of his 143 career games.
Vederian Lowe , New England Patriots
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound reserve offensive tackle is in his fourth season and third with the Patriots after being drafted in the 2022 sixth round by the Minnesota Vikings . He has started 21 of his 29 career games.
Quan Martin , Washington Commanders
The 6-foot, 195-pound starting safety has played in 32 games over his two seasons, starting all 16 games in 2024. He was a second-round pick in the 2023 draft.
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Chase McLaughlin , Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 6-foot, 190-pound kicker is in his seventh NFL season and third with the Bucs after a 30-for-32 season on field goals. He has made 126 of his 148 career attempts with seven NFL teams since his 2019 rookie season.
Jer'Zhan Newton, Washington Commanders
The 6-foot-2, 295-pounder is a reserve defensive tackle in his second season. He had 44 tackles and two sacks in 11 games as a rookie. He was selected in the second round of the 2024 draft, 36th overall.
Alex Palczewski , Denver Broncos
The 6-foot-6, 314-pounder is a reserve offensive lineman in his third season. The undrafted free agent spent his rookie season on injured reserve with hand and knee injuries before rebounding to play 14 games in 2024.
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Del'Shawn Phillips, Los Angeles Chargers
The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder is a reserve linebacker with his sixth team in six seasons, with 76 tackles in 67 games the last five seasons. An undrafted free agent in 2019, he signed an offseason deal with the Chargers.
Tip Reiman , Arizona Cardinals
The 6-foot-4, 273-pounder is a backup tight end in his second season. As a rookie, he caught six passes for 37 yards in 17 games. He was selected in the third round of the 2024 draft, 82nd overall.
Dawuane Smoot , Jacksonville Jaguars
The 6-foot-3, 264-pound reserve defensive end returns to the Jaguars in his eighth NFL season. He played last year in Buffalo after six seasons with the Jags, who selected him in the third round of the 2017 draft. He has 25 sacks and 149 tackles in 110 career games.
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Jihad Ward , Tennessee Titans
The 6-foot-5, 285-pound linebacker is in his 10th NFL season and first with the Titans. He played last season with the Vikings after two seasons with the New York Giants . He before that, he spent time with four other teams, including the Raiders, who drafted him in the second round of the 2016 draft. He has 19 sacks and 168 tackles in 119 career games.
Casey Washington, Atlanta Falcons
The 6-foot, 200-pounder is a reserve wide receiver in his second season. Selected in the sixth round of the 2024 draft, he had one catch in eight games as a rookie.
Devon Witherspoon , Seattle Seahawks
Dec 15, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) walks off the field after the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The 6-foot, 185-pound corner is a starting nickel back in his third season. The 2023 fifth overall draft pick and two-time Pro Bowler had 79 tackles, three sacks and an interception in 14 games his rookie season, following that up with 98 tackles and a sack last year.
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Illini on NFL practice squads
Illinois players listed on practice squads as of Sept. 1
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WR Isaiah Williams , Cincinnati Bengals
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DT TeRah Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: NFL 53-man rosters 2025: Former Illinois football players on NFL rosters
