NFL Locals: How former area standouts have fared through end of regular season

The NFL’s regular season has come and gone, and a majority of former area standouts’ hope to hoist the Lombardi Trophy have been dashed.

Several locals have contributed to postseason runs, however. Here’s where they and their eliminated peers stand after Week 18:

• Jaylen Watson (Washington State), Kansas City: Watson broke through the Chiefs’ depleted secondary early into the season, returning his first career interception for a game-winning touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.

Watson played in all but one game for the AFC-leading Chiefs (14-3), recording 49 tackles, 11/2 tackles for loss, one interception and six passes defended.

• Gardner Minshew (WSU), Philadelphia: Minshew returned to the bench in Week 18, with Jalen Hurts back from injury.

Hurts led the Eagles (14-3) to a 22-16 win over the New York Giants, clinching the NFC’s top seed.

Minshew started a pair of games in Hurts absence, losing both to Dallas and New Orleans. This season he completed 44 of 76 attempts for 663 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. The 27-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

• Samson Ebukam (Eastern Washington), San Francisco: Ebukam has had a diminishing role on the NFL’s leading defense in both yards and points allowed.

The 49ers (13-4) earned the NFC’s second seed, after winning their last 10 games.

Ebukam seemed poised to break his career -high mark of 41/2 sacks, after earning 31/2 in the first five games. His production slowed with nagging injuries and missed two games.

Ebukam returned to the lineup in Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals and had one assisted tackle – a half sack that set a new career high at five for the season.

• River Cracraft (WSU), Miami: Cracraft didn’t play much for the Dolphins, but saw action for the first time in over a month on Sunday, catching one pass for 5 yards in a playoff-clinching win over the New York Jets.

The Dolphins (9-8) snapped a six-game losing streak with the win over the Jets and clinched the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Cracraft finishes the regular season with career highs for receptions (nine), receiving yards (102) and receiving touchdowns (two).

• Taiwan Jones (EWU), Buffalo: Jones has done just about everything you can do on a football field in his 11 years in the NFL, except win the Super Bowl.

Jones, who has played on both sides of the ball in his career, is reserved to special teams in Buffalo, where he has served as a team captain the past two seasons.

The Bills (13-3) beat the Patriots on Sunday to clinch the AFC’s second seed. Jones has four tackles this year and one kick return for two yards.

• Abraham Lucas (WSU), Seattle: Lucas and fellow rookie offensive tackle Charles Cross looked like seasoned pros for most of their first season in Seattle.

Lucas played 16 games for the Seahawks (9-8), who surpassed lowly expectations and had effective run blocking, good for seventh in the NFL at 4.8 yards per carry.

• Cooper Kupp (EWU), L.A. Rams: Kupp played just nine games before heading to the injured reserve, one of many reasons the Rams (5-12) finished with the worst record of defending Super Bowl champions.

Playing less than half a season, Kupp caught 75 passes for 812 yards and six touchdowns. He added nine carries for 52 yards and a touchdown.

• Kendrick Bourne (EWU), New England: The Patriots missed the playoffs for just the fifth time since 2000, after losing to the Bills on Sunday.

Bourne fell out of favor with the Patriots after achieving career bests in receptions, touchdowns and yards in 2021. He finished with 31 receptions for 389 yards and one touchdown.

Bourne is under contract with New England through 2023 and is set to earn $5.5 million if he remains on the roster next season.

• Frankie Luvu (WSU), Carolina: Luvu was a force on the Panthers defense, finishing second on the team with 105 tackles in 15 games and second in sacks with seven.

Luvu matched a team high with 17 tackles for loss and caught his first career interception, which he returned for a touchdown. He will make $4 million and close out his two-year contract with the Panthers in 2023, though it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he is extended in the offseason.

“I think Frankie Luvu has had a heck of a year,” Panthers defensive coordinator Al Holcomb said last week. “You know, he missed a couple of games early on in the year, but it’s the tenacity and the speed in which he plays the game.”

• Jalen Thompson (WSU), Arizona: There are a lot of reasons for the Cardinals’ (4-13) struggles. Thompson isn’t one of them.

Thompson had 102 tackles, one interception and eight passes defended during his fourth season with Arizona. Only fellow safety Budda Baker had more tackles for the Cardinals defense. Thompson signed a three-year, $36 million contract last offseason.

• Kaden Elliss (Idaho), New Orleans: Elliss played all 17 games for the Saints, achieving career bests for tackles (76), sacks (7) and forced fumbles (2). The 28-year-old is up for free agency.