NC State NFL Players Kickoff 2017-18 TODAY!

The 2017-18 NFL season is HERE! NINE former NC State football players are set to be starters in Week 1 on their respective teams, and 4 others are set to play as reserves.

Philip Rivers is entering his 12th season as the starting Quarterback of the Chargers. Since taking over the role in 2006, he has yet to miss a single start. He ranks 12th in NFL history in passing yards (45,833), 10th in completions (3,811) and 8th in touchdown passes (314).

Last season Rivers threw the ball for 4,386 yards (60.4%), with
33 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Rivers and the Chargers will face the Broncos tomorrow night at 10:20 on Monday Night Football.

Russell Wilson is entering his 6th season as the starting Quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks. Over this span, Wilson has not missed a single start. Through 5 seasons, Wilson has 64 wins, which is more than any other Quarterback has won in their first 5 seasons in the NFL.

Last season, while playing most of the season hurt, Wilson threw for 4,219 yards (64.7%), with 21 touchdowns and 11 receptions.

Wilson and the Seahawks will kickoff today against the Packers at 4:25.

Willie Young is entering his 8th season in the NFL, and he started 12 out of the 16 games that he played Outside Linebacker for the Chicago Bears last season. He has started 38 games for the Bears in the three years that he has been with them.

Last season Young posted 38 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 2 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble.

Young and the Bears will kickoff against the Falcons at 1pm today.

The Redskins dropped Cornerback David Amerson early in 2015, and the Raiders scooped him up fast, and he has pretty much been one of their starters ever since. Amerson is one of 4 Cornerbacks in the whole NFL to have double digit pass breakups in each of the past two seasons.

Amerson and the Raiders will kickoff against the Titans at 1pm today.

As a rookie last season, Joe Thuney started every single game of the season at Offensive Guard for the New England Patriots. Thuney is 1 of 16 former NC State players to go on to win a Super Bowl.

Thuney and the Pats fell to the Chiefs on Thursday night 27-42.

After starting 18 games for the Bucs in his first two seasons, Quarterback Mike Glennon didn’t start a single game over the past two seasons, seeing action in only two games as a reserve. The Chicago Bears signed him this offseason to a 3-year $45 million deal, and he enters Week 1 as their starting signal caller.

In his NFL career, Glennon has completed 59.4 of his passes, and has thrown 30 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Glennon and the Bears kickoff against the Falcons at 1pm today.

Cornerback Dontae Johnson is entering his 4th season, and has played in 47 out of 48 possible regular season games for the 49ers. Johnson started 6 games over his first two seasons, but played all 16 games last year as a reserve. After one of San Francisco’s starters left after last season, Johnson seized the opportunity, and one the starting job heading into Week 1 of the 2017 season.

Johnson and the 49ers kickoff against the Panthers at 4:25 today.

Right Guard J.R. Sweezy missed his first season with the Bucs last year due to a back injury, but he is back and the buzz around him this preseason is that he brings “nastiness” to the Tampa Bay Offensive Line. Sweezy was a starter on the Seahawks offensive line from 2013-15. He was signed by the Bucs to play on the Left Side of the ball, but after sitting out a year due to injury, Sweezy will be starting at Right Guard.

Sweezy and the Bucs’ game against the Dolphins was postponed due to Hurricane Irma.

After being the place kicker for the Seahawks for the past 6 seasons, Steven Hauschka signed a 4-year deal with the Bills in the offseason to handle their kicking duties. Hauschka has quickly developed a rapport with his teammates in Buffalo, earning the honor of being one of the Bills captains in 2017.

Last season Hauschka made 33 field goals (89%), which tied a career high.

Hauschka and the Bills kickoff today against the Jets at 1pm.

Cornerback Juston Burris is entering his second season, and he will be backing up Buster Skrine for the New York Jets. In his rookie season, Burris played in all 16 games (starting 1), picking up 13 tackles, 5 pass deflections an 1 interception.

Burris and the Jets kickoff against the Bills today at 1pm.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett spent his rookie season with the New England Patriots, but was traded a few weeks back to the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck will not be starting week 1 for the Colts, and Scott Tolzien will get the start, but depending on how he plays, don’t be shocked to see Brissett see action in the Colts first game of the season today.

Last season Brissett played in 3 games (starting 2) for the Pats, throwing for 400 yards, while completing 62% of his passes. He also rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Brissett and the Colts kickoff today against the Rams at 4:05 pm.

Running Back Matt Dayes made the final 53 man roster for the Cleveland Browns after being selected with the second-to-last pick in the NFL Draft this summer. He enters the 2017 season 3rd on the Depth Chart behind Isiaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson Jr.

Dayes and the Browns kickoff today against the Steelers at 1pm today.

Safety Josh Jones was selected by the Packers in the second round of the NFL Draft this summer after blowing up the NFL Combine. He is second on the depth chart at Strong Safety behind Mark Burnett. The Packers will use him in flex position that will have him at Strong Safety at times, and Inside Linebacker at other times.

Jones and the Packers kickoff against the Seahawks at 4:25 today.