Fourteen former Stanford football players are set to participate in the 2025 NFL playoffs following the conclusion of the regular season. The group includes veterans and emerging talents who made significant contributions to their respective teams throughout the year.
Christian McCaffrey, now with the San Francisco 49ers, started all 17 games for the first time in his career and was named to his fourth Pro Bowl. He led the NFL in touches with a career-high 413, accumulated 2,126 scrimmage yards—second most in the league—and scored 17 total touchdowns. McCaffrey also became only the second player in NFL history to record three seasons with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards and 15 or more touchdowns. Additionally, he is now the first running back ever to achieve at least 100 receptions in three different seasons.
Drew Dalman had a standout year as center for the Chicago Bears, starting every game and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. According to PFF, Dalman posted a grade of 77.5, ranking him fifth among centers league-wide. He played a key role in helping quarterback Caleb Williams set a franchise record for passing yards (3,942) and contributed to Chicago finishing third in rushing yards per game.
Michael Wilson emerged as a leading wide receiver for Arizona by catching 78 passes for over 1,000 yards—a milestone last achieved by a Stanford alumnus when Doug Baldwin did so in 2016. His late-season surge included an eight-week stretch where he recorded more than 770 receiving yards.
Dalton Schultz set a new Houston Texans franchise record for receptions by a tight end with 82 catches this season while finishing second on his team with 777 receiving yards.
Other notable performances include Paulson Adebo’s strong debut season with New York Giants (73 tackles), Bobby Okereke tying for tenth place across the NFL with 143 tackles for New York Giants, Colby Parkinson setting career highs as tight end for Los Angeles Rams (43 catches and eight touchdowns), Zach Ertz’s productive run before injury halted his campaign at Washington (50 catches), and Jake Bailey’s best punting average since his All-Pro season.
Several rookies also made impacts: Elic Ayomanor started more games than any Stanford rookie receiver since James Lofton; Kyu Blu Kelly tallied three interceptions; Elijah Higgins had career-best numbers; Tanner McKee started Week 18 again for Philadelphia Eagles; Kendall Williamson played all games with Chargers; Brycen Tremayne logged his first start and most appearances yet.
The upcoming wild-card weekend will feature at least one former Stanford player participating in every matchup:
– Los Angeles Rams (Colby Parkinson) vs Carolina Panthers (Brycen Tremayne)
– Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears (Drew Dalman)
– Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars (Walker Little)
– San Francisco 49ers (Christian McCaffrey, Curtis Robinson) vs Philadelphia Eagles (Tanner McKee)
– Los Angeles Chargers (Tucker Fisk, Foster Sarell, Kendall Williamson) vs New England Patriots (Austin Hooper)
– Houston Texans (Davis Mills, Dalton Schultz) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (Andrus Peat)
“Week 18 of the 2025 NFL regular season is over, and 14 former Cardinal are heading to the playoffs. It was another great year around the league for former Stanford greats, with multiple having breakout seasons for their respective teams.”
