NFL playoffs: Alabama still No. 1 in postseason players

After having the most players on the active rosters of the playoff teams for the Wild-Card Weekend of any college program, Alabama will have the most representation in the Divisional Weekend, too.

With 31 former players on the original 14 postseason teams, Alabama now has 19 on the active rosters of the NFL playoffs’ remaining eight teams – and that doesn’t include Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, but only those players who went directly from the Crimson Tide to the NFL. Hurts played a season at Oklahoma between his three at Alabama and his second-round selection by Philadelphia.

But it’s still possible for Super Bowl LIX to go off without an Alabama alumnus because neither the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC nor the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC have a former Crimson Tide player on their roster.

The playoffs started with Florida and Michigan as the college programs guaranteed to have a representative at this season’s NFL championship game. The results of the Wild-Card Weekend assured six other college programs of having an alumnus in Super Bowl LIX – Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma, Penn State, Washington and Wisconsin.

But no college program is guaranteed of having an alumnus on the winning team yet.

In addition to Alabama, colleges with at least 10 alumni remaining on the playoff teams’ active rosters are Georgia with 15, Oklahoma with 12, Florida, Ohio State and Penn State with 11 apiece and Notre Dame with 10.

The Wild-Card Weekend results were hard on other colleges’ representation. For example, former Hewitt-Trussville standout and Washington Commanders cornerback Noah Igbinoghene is the only Auburn alumnus still playing. Five of the six teams that lost on Wild-Card Weekend had Auburn alumni on their active rosters, and former Tigers offensive tackle Jack Driscoll was placed on injured reserve by the Philadelphia Eagles.

The playoffs began with 65 players from Alabama high schools and colleges on the active rosters. Now there are 34. Here are the players with Alabama football roots on the remaining postseason teams:

Baltimore Ravens

• Reserve/injured: Jalyn Armour-Davis, cornerback, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Alabama
• Practice squad: Malik Cunningham, wide receiver, Park Crossing
• Practice squad: Darrian Dalcourt, guard, Alabama
• Derrick Henry, running back, Alabama
• Marlon Humphrey, cornerback, Hoover, Alabama
• Michael Pierce, defensive tackle, Daphne, Samford

Buffalo Bills

• Amari Cooper, wide receiver, Alabama
• Tylan Grable, offensive tackle, Jacksonville State
• Practice squad: Kareem Jackson, safety, Alabama
• Practice squad: Tyrell Shavers, wide receiver, Alabama
• Javon Solomon, edge, Troy

Detroit Lions

• Terrion Arnold, cornerback, Alabama
• Brian Branch, defensive back, Alabama
• Reserve/injured: Carlton Davis, cornerback, Auburn
• Jahmyr Gibbs, running back, Alabama
• Brodric Martin, defensive lineman, Northridge, North Alabama
• Za’Darius Smith, defensive end, Greenville
• Jameson Williams, wide receiver, Alabama

Houston Texans

• Will Anderson Jr., defensive end, Alabama
• Practice squad: Anthony Averett, cornerback, Alabama
• Nico Collins, wide receiver, Clay-Chalkville
• Reserve/injured: Tank Dell, wide receiver, Alabama A&M
• Christian Harris, linebacker, Alabama
• Tytus Howard, offensive lineman, Monroe County, Alabama State
• Kamari Lassiter, cornerback, American Christian
• John Metchie III, wide receiver, Alabama
• Irv Smith Jr., tight end, Alabama
• Henry To’oTo’o, linebacker, Alabama
• Reserve/injured: Jimmie Ward, safety, Davidson
• Practice squad: Kilian Zierer, offensive tackle, Auburn

Kansas City Chiefs

• Practice squad: Chris Oladokun, quarterback, Samford
• Practice squad: Justyn Ross, wide receiver, Central-Phenix City
• Practice squad: Montrell Washington, wide receiver, Samford

Los Angeles Rams

• Darious Williams, cornerback, UAB

Philadelphia Eagles

• Reed Blankenship, safety, West Limestone
• Practice squad: Khari Blasingame, fullback, Buckhorn
• Reserve/injured: James Bradberry, cornerback, Pleasant Grove, Samford
• Landon Dickerson, guard, Alabama
• Reserve/injured: Jack Driscoll, offensive lineman, Auburn
• Bryce Huff, defensive end, St. Paul’s Episcopal
• Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Alabama
• Eli Ricks, cornerback, Alabama
• DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, Alabama
• Tyler Steen, offensive lineman, Alabama
• Reserve/injured: C.J. Uzomah, tight end, Auburn
• Reserve/injured: Byron Young, defensive tackle, Alabama

Washington Commanders

• Jonathan Allen, defensive tackle, Alabama
• Noah Igbinoghene, cornerback, Hewitt-Trussville, Auburn
• Daron Payne, defensive tackle, Shades Valley, Alabama
• Jeremy Reaves, defensive back, South Alabama
• Brian Robinson Jr., running back, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Alabama
• Trent Scott, offensive lineman, Lee-Huntsville

The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs take the field for the postseason this weekend. The No. 1 seeds on each side of the Super Bowl LIX bracket, they received a first-round bye through the Wild-Card Weekend.

The results and schedule for the NFL postseason include (with all times CST):

WILD-CARD WEEKEND

Saturday, Jan. 11

• AFC: No. 4 Houston Texans 32, No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers 12
• AFC: No. 3 Baltimore Ravens 28, No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers 12

Sunday, Jan. 12

Monday, Jan. 13

• NFC: No. 4 Los Angeles Rams 27, No. 5 Minnesota Vikings 9

DIVISIONAL WEEKEND

Saturday, Jan. 18

• AFC: No. 4 Houston Texans (11-7) at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (15-2), 3:30 p.m. (ABC, ESPN)
• NFC: No. 6 Washington Commanders (13-5) at No. 1 Detroit Lions (15-2), 7 p.m. (FOX)

Sunday, Jan. 19

• NFC: No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (11-7) at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (15-3), 2 p.m. (NBC)
• AFC: No. 3 Baltimore Ravens (13-5) at No. 2 Buffalo Bills (14-4), 5:30 p.m. (CBS)

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sunday, Jan. 26

• NFC, 2 p.m. (FOX)
• AFC, 5:30 p.m. (CBS)

SUPER BOWL LIX

Sunday, Feb. 9

• AFC champion vs. NFC champion, 5:30 p.m. at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans (FOX)

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.