Eight players with Northern Nevada ties are on NFL teams that made the playoffs, including four players on active rosters. Here is a look at each player entering the postseason. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
* OL Austin Corbett (Nevada Wolf Pack/Reed High), Carolina Panthers: Carolina lost to Tampa Bay in Week 17 but won a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South after Atlanta’s win over New Orleans, putting the Panthers in the playoffs (with a home game) despite a below-.500 record. Carolina finished the season 8-9 and ranked 27th in the NFL in scoring at 18.3 points per game while posting its most victories since 2017. Carolina will host the Rams at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the wildcard round. Corbett had an up-and-down season that included a torn MCL, a benching and a position change but has started at right guard for the Panthers the last few seasons. He also was named Carolina’s Walter Payton Man of the Year. Here is a fun read on Corbett’s bond with a former South Tahoe High star wrestler.
* WR/PR Romeo Doubs (Nevada Wolf Pack), Green Bay Packers: Doubs and the Packers lost their final four games but reached the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 7 seed with a 9-7-1 record. Green Bay will play NFC North rival Chicago at 5 p.m. Saturday in the wildcard round. Doubs played in 16 of 17 games this season, sitting for the regular-season finale. He caught 55 passes on 85 targets, recording a career-best 724 yards with six touchdowns. He also assumed punt return duties for the first time in his four-year NFL career, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt on 15 returns. A free agent after this season, Doubs could increase his stock with a strong postseason.
* LB Daiyan Henley (Nevada Wolf Pack), Los Angeles Chargers: Henley and the Chargers play at New England at 5 p.m. Sunday in the wildcard round. Henley played in 16 of 17 games, sitting out the regular-season finale. He had 103 tackles, five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, adding two interceptions and five passes defended in his third NFL season. The Chargers ranked ninth in the NFL in scoring defense this season, allowing just 20 points per game, and will face a Patriots team that tallied 28.8 points per game, the second most in the NFL.
* WR/PR Tory Horton (Nevada Wolf Pack), Seattle Seahawks: Horton and the Seahawks earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC and will get a first-round bye following a win over the 49ers in the regular-season finale. Horton missed the last seven games of the season with a shin injury and is unlikely to return for the playoffs. “We got some clarification on Tory,” Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said last week. “The best way I could describe it is what he has, it just takes a long time to heal. So put it this way: We’re planning on not having him. If something happens — which we’re not counting on — and he’s able to come back, then that’s great.” In his rookie season, Horton caught 13 passes for 161 yards and five touchdowns. He also returned 16 punts for 238 yards (14.9-yard average) and a score.
Among other local players on NFL postseason rosters are WR Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers, season-ending injured reserve) and practice-squad players LB Emany Johnson (Los Angeles Chargers); Dalevon Campbell (Los Angeles Chargers); and Keleki Latu (Buffalo Bills). Latu played five games for the Bills this season but will remain on the practice squad unless there is an injury to the team’s top-three tight ends (Dalton Kincaid/Dawson Knox/Jackson Hawes).