Two linebackers who played their college ball on the Palouse collected takeaways and a couple of locally produced rookie wide receivers made their first playoff catches during Sunday night’s game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers.
Although it was an overall rocky rookie season for Cam Ward (Washington State) – including a tough break in the finale that saw the Tennessee quarterback leave the game early with an injury – there were also flashes of promise from the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
For the first time, the New England Patriots asked Efton Chism III (Eastern Washington) to play a key role offensively – rather than just appearing on special teams, or plugging away on the practice squad. The undrafted rookie receiver didn’t let the opportunity go to waste.
Cam Ward (Washington State) and Shedeur Sanders squared off in a matchup of high-profile rookie quarterbacks who share a history stemming back to their college years.
Chau Smith-Wade (Washington State) is becoming a key piece for Carolina's defense. On Sunday, the second-year cornerback played a lock-down role during a big upset win for the Panthers.
Jalen Thompson (Washington State) is a consistent contributor for Arizona, but he’s worked in relative anonymity this season – though he’s always on the field for the Cardinals’ defense, Thompson had yet to take the spotlight with a highlight-reel play this season. Until Sunday.
