Following a Week 18 that featured its share of blowouts, tight games and a bevy of star players who were sat in favor of staying healthy for the postseason, the 2024 NFL playoff field is set.
As usual, there is a solid contingent of players with Utah ties who are headed to the postseason.
Advertisement
As of Sunday night, following the conclusion of the NFL’s final week of the regular season and with this year’s playoff seedings and wild-card matchups set, there were 34 Utah ties on NFL playoff rosters.
That is seven more than last season, when 27 players with Utah ties were on postseason rosters heading into the playoffs.
The 34 players ties the 2020 and 2021 playoffs for the highest number of players with Utah ties to advance to the postseason since the NFL expanded the playoffs from 12 to 14 teams.
Two years ago, 28 players with Utah ties made the playoffs.
The University of Utah leads the way amongst Utah colleges with 11 former players on NFL postseason rosters this year, followed by BYU at nine. Utah State and Weber State each have three, while Snow College has two and Southern Utah has one.
Advertisement
Sixteen of the 34 played high school football in Utah. East and Orem each have three former players in the postseason, Brighton and Stansbury and Brighton have two and Bingham, Bountiful, Corner Canyon, Desert Hills, Timpview and Westlake each have one.
Of the 34, 24 are on active rosters (two more than last year), five are on practice squads and five are on injured reserve.
All 14 teams in the playoffs have at least one player with a Utah tie. Denver has the most with six, including five former Utes and a former Cougar.
Here’s a look at each of the Utah ties on NFL rosters this year. Players are on a team’s active roster unless otherwise specified:
Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) runs with the ball during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. | Adrian Kraus
AFC playoff teams
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU and Orem High
Siaki Ika, DT, East High (on practice squad)
Advertisement
2. Buffalo Bills
Taron Johnson, CB, Weber State
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Houston Texans
Dalton Schultz, TE, Bingham High
Kedon Slovis, QB, BYU (on practice squad)
5. Los Angeles Chargers
Simi Fehoko, WR, Brighton High (on injured reserve)
Alohi Gilman, S, Orem High (on injured reserve)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
Miles Killebrew, S, Southern Utah
Jaylen Warren, RB, Utah State, Snow College and East High
Eric Rowe, S, Utah (on practice squad)
7. Denver Broncos
Cody Barton, LB, Utah and Brighton High
Garett Bolles, OT, Utah, Snow College and Westlake High
Zach Wilson, QB, BYU and Corner Canyon High
Thomas Yassmin, TE, Utah (on practice squad)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) stiff-arms Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Dante Stills (55) after a reception during the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. | Alex Gallardo
NFC playoff teams
1. Detroit Lions
Penei Sewell, OT, Desert Hills High
Jonah Williams, DL, Weber State
2. Philadelphia Eagles
Britain Covey, WR/RS, Utah and Timpview High (on injured reserve)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sua Opeta, OG, Weber State and Stansbury High (on injured reserve)
4. Los Angeles Rams
Puka Nacua, WR, BYU and Orem High
5. Minnesota Vikings
Taki Taimani, DL, East High (on injured reserve)
Max Tooley, LB, BYU and Bountiful High (on practice squad)
6. Washington Commanders
Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State
7. Green Bay Packers
Zayne Anderson, S, BYU and Stansbury High
Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) drops back to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. | Mike Roemer