Twenty-Three Former Buckeyes on NFL Playoff Rosters
1/9/2026 10:00:00 AM | Football
At least one former Buckeye on 11 of the 14 NFL Playoff teams
COLUMBUS, Ohio – When the NFL Playoffs begin this weekend, chances are high that there will be a Buckeye or Buckeyes on the field.
That's because a total of 20 former players are on active rosters for 11 of the 14 teams that made the playoffs. On wild card weekend – which includes six games between Saturday afternoon and Monday night – 18 players will be suited up. Each of the six wild card games will include at least one former Buckeye. Including three players on injured reserve, the total Ohio State NFL playoff representation is 23 players.
The Monday night game in Pittsburgh between the Steelers and the Houston Texas will feature seven Buckeyes, including four for the Steelers and three for the Texans. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud leads a team that has won 12 of its last 14 games. He'll go up against a Pittsburgh defense that includes DL Cam Hayward, who is making his 10th career postseason appearance, LB Malik Harrison and LB Jack Sawyer.
The two teams that earned the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences – Seattle and Denver – each include one Buckeye. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the NFL in receiving yards (1,793) for the Seahawks and DL Jonathon Cooper had eight sacks while helping the Broncos to 14-3 record.
Ohio State Buckeyes in the NFL Playoffs (23; 20 active roster, 3 injured reserve)
Houston Texans
QB C.J. Stroud
TE Cade Stover
DL Tommy Togiai
Buffalo Bills
CB Jordan Hancock
DL Joey Bosa
WR Curtis Samuel (injured reserve)
Carolina Panthers
SAF Lathan Ransom
Chicago Bears
OL Jonah Jackson
Denver Broncos
LB Jonathon Cooper
RB J.K. Dobbins (injured reserve)
Jacksonville Jaguars
DL DaVon Hamilton
Los Angeles Rams
DL Ty Hamilton
LS Jake McQuaide
TE Nick Vannett
New England Patriots
RB TreVeyon Henderson
OL Thayer Munford
Pittsburgh Steelers
LB Malik Harrison
DL Cam Hayward
QB Will Howard
LB Jack Sawyer
San Francisco 49ers
TE Luke Farrell
DE Nick Bosa (injured reserve)
Seattle Seahawks
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
