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Kaden Wetjen almost called a fair catch on his 50-yard punt return TD

“Thankfully it was a touchdown,” Wetjen said after thinking about a fair catch before his score in Iowa’s 41-3 win over Minnesota.

Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season is in the books, and several former Iowa football players had huge hands in their teams’ performances.

The collection of former Hawkeyes in the NFL continues to grow, with several more being added to rosters this year after many were active last season. While high-end names like Sam LaPorta, Cooper DeJean, George Kittle and Tristan Wirfs dominate the alumni list, several other names Iowa fans will recognize are making significant impacts at the pro level too.

With that, here are three ex-Hawkeyes who stood out in Week 9 of the NFL season.

Charlie Jones, Cincinnati Bengals KR

Things didn’t work out for the Cincinnati Bengals in their dramatic 47-42 loss to the Chicago Bears, but that didn’t prevent Jones from leaving an impact.

The former Iowa and Purdue return specialist took the opening kickoff back 98 yards for a touchdown, marking the third return score of his NFL career. Jones finished with four kick returns for 179 yards and two punt returns for 12 yards in the loss.

Though Jones has only eight receptions in three years as an NFL wide receiver, he’s found a way to stick around. Expect more special teams highlights from Jones in the future.

Noah Fant, Cincinnati Bengals TE

Evident by the 47-42 final score, plenty of Bengals offensive players had huge days.

Right in the middle of the action was Fant, who finished with two catches for 28 yards and a fourth-quarter TD that ignited Cincinnati’s late rally. Fant’s 23-yard score brought the Bengals within six with 1:43 to go, setting up the onside kick recovery that followed. Had it not been for a late TD pass on the other side, Fant and the Bengals would’ve had their fourth win of the year.

The former Iowa tight end has found a home in Cincinnati, his third NFL stop. Just eight games into this year, Fant is one TD away from tying his season-high.

T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings TE

It’s always a revenge game for Hockenson when he faces the team that drafted him, and he didn’t disappoint in the latest matchup.

Helping spark the Vikings’ 27-24 road upset over the Detroit Lions, Hockenson finished with two catches for 11 yards and a touchdown — his second score this year. This is the first time since 2023 that Hockenson has multiple TDs in a year.

He and Minnesota will look to keep the winning ways going in Week 10 vs. the Ravens.    

Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.