What's the latest on Penn State football alums in the NFL?

Former Penn State players dot multiple NFL rosters with training camp now in full swing. Most of the one-time Nittany Lions are not going through their first rodeo when it comes to the summer practices that lead each team to Week 1. Many are drawing praise. But none of them flashed in the first games of the preseason quite like Parker Washington.

The second-year Jacksonville Jaguar took an early lead for the longest kickoff return under the NFL’s new rules. If you are unaware, those plays look a lot different in the pros this year. In an effort to reduce the car-crash-like full-speed collisions that happen on many kickoffs, teams now line up five yards apart in what is known as the setup zone between the receiving teams’ 35- and 30-yard lines. The kickoff is still from the kicking team’s 35-yard line. Any ball that lands between the goal line and the receiving team’s 20-yard line must be returned. And, the coverage team can’t start running until the kick returner catches it. Washington fielded a boot from the Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker and juked, broke tackles, and ran away from would-be tacklers for a 73-yard scamper that nearly resulted in a touchdown. The Jaguars ultimately won the game 26-13. 

“I’m feeling good,” Washington told the Jaguars’ official website. “That return, I was a little nervous at first, but I like the setup of it. We got a win. It’s good to see everything play out. It’s an exciting moment.”

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It was the latest sign that he is ready for a bigger role in 2024 after an injury-plagued 2023 season saw him suit up for just nine contests while drawing only a single start after the AFC team picked him in Round 6 of the 2023 NFL Draft. He caught 16 passes for 132 yards and two scores. While he did not hit the receiving part of the box score against Kansas City, interviews coming out of Jacksonville suggest Washington will have a bigger role in the offense this fall.

“Parker Washington has looked great,” Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “From last year to this year, there is such an improvement in the way he played. For him to have a full offseason where he’s healthy has made a big difference too. He settled in. To see him this year, it’s been cool to see his transformation and how good he’s been. I’ve been really impressed. He can move around and kind of do everything, and he’s great after the catch. So, that’s going to help us a lot. That’s the guy I’ve noticed the most.”

Former Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson ready for a new role

Former Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson enters his third season with the Washington Commanders in 2024. It appears that it will be his first as the team’s primary slot receiver. Working mostly on at the outside receiver position in the NFC East team’s offense, the Pa., native has tallied 84 career receptions for 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns over his first two seasons as a pro. In Week 1 of the preseason, he played primary inside in Washington’s offense, catching two passes for 13 yards in a 20-17 loss to the New York Jets. Pro Football Focus believes that will be his regular role moving forward.

“This could be huge for Dotson’s fantasy value,” Nathan Jahnke writes for PFF. “New offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was the Arizona Cardinals‘ head coach from 2019-2022. During that time, Cardinals wide receivers in the slot caught 434 passes, which was the second most among teams in that time. Most teams in the top five had one clear slot receiver during that time, whereas the Cardinals had Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore.

“The only concern is that multiple starters stopped playing after the first drive but Dotson continued — likely because this is a new role for him. This is also bad news for anyone who expected Luke McCaffrey to have a major role with the Commanders this season. McCaffrey didn’t see his first snap until the second half, placing him ninth on the depth chart currently.”

More: Consistency at issue as Penn State fights to take next steps

Dotson believes this could be his best season yet.

“My rookie year, everything was just happening back to back to back to back,” Dotson told Lehigh Valley Live. “I really didn’t get to have an appreciation for everything. It was just going fast. Now, going into Year 3, I have an appreciation for things and slowing life down a little bit, slowing my mind down. I feel like I’m getting the hang of the NFL. I’m ready to have a big Year 3 and showcase my talent.
“We’re going to do a lot of different things. One big thing is the hurry-up offense. It kind of takes me back to college a little bit. I feel like that’s going to be an exciting thing for us and something that we can use to our advantage. I’m really excited for that.”

Freiermuth is not on the trade market

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth figures to have a big role in first-year Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme. That’s at least one of the reasons why the former Nittany Lion would not be a part of any potential trade package the AFC team might put together to try and acquire talented but unhappy San Francisco 49ers star receiver Brandon Ayiuk, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Friermuth has started 26 of 44 career games through three NFL seasons, all of which have been spent in Pittsburgh. He has 155 career receptions for 1,537 yards and 11 touchdowns. He aims to bounce back from an injury-riddled season in 2023 that saw him suit up for just 12 games. 

“Yeah, I think the best thing about Coach Smith is just how, like you said, attention to detail he is and how he’s installing the offense it’s new for everyone,” Freiermuth told PennLive. “Man, it’s pretty complex, so when he’s loading up these installs, he is making sure we understand the why of everything, not just what we do, but the whole concept of each play and scheme and everything. It’s been great for us. It’s been good for us to challenge our football knowledge, definitely challenging people to study more and be in the building more.

“I think it’s been good for everyone. I think it’s good for the defense, showing different looks that they’ve been used to for the past three years, and I think it’s just going to help everyone involved. Yeah, it’s been great. I can’t say enough good things about his leadership. It’s been awesome.”

One former Penn State defensive back retires, another finds a new team

Former Penn State cornerback Grant Haley’s playing days are over. He announced his retirement from the NFL in early August. 

“For over half my life, I gave everything I had to a dream that didn’t happen by accident but happened because of the values my parents, coaches, and mentors instilled upon me,” Haley said in a statement on Instagram. “I could not have done this alone and I am thankful for the support of those who know me beyond the helmet. I bent but never broke through the adversity life threw at me and gained respect from those who wanted to see me fail.”

Haley played five seasons in the NFL. He started his career with the New York Giants, spent a year in New Orleans in 2020, and suited up for the Los Angeles Ram, who he won a Super Bowl with, in 2021-2022. He has not played since that season. The Atlanta native will always be remembered for the blocked field goal touchdown return in 2016 that helped Penn State upset Ohio State at Beaver Stadium. 

On the other side of the coin, safety Adrian Amos is extending his career. The longtime pro is signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. This will mark his 10th NFL season. He most recently played for the New York Jets. Over the last decade, Amos, who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers, has 10 interceptions and 664 tackles over 142 pro contests.