Active Rosters Include 24 Bruins as NFL Season Kicks Off

With the 2022 regular season slated to kick off Thursday in Los Angeles, 24 former UCLA football standouts are in line to see NFL fields in the coming days as members of active rosters.

Among the Bruins in the professional ranks are 17th-year tight end Marcedes Lewis of the Green Bay Packers, and wide receiver and special teams star Matthew Slater of the New England Patriots, who is embarking on his 15th campaign. A Week 1 matchup of NFC South rivals Green Bay and the Minnesota Vikings (Sunday, 1:25 p.m. PT on FOX) not only features Lewis, but linebacker Krys Barnes, defensive lineman Kenny Clark and rookie tackle/guard Sean Rhyan of the Packers, as well as Minnesota linebacker Eric Kendricks.

In addition to Rhyan, running back Brittain Brown of the Las Vegas Raiders, defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia of the Los Angeles Chargers and wide receiver Kyle Philips of the Tennessee Titans are first-year players looking for their first action. Brown and Ogbonnia square off in an AFC West showdown at SoFi Stadium (Sunday, 1:25 p.m. PT on CBS). Philips will look across the line of scrimmage at third-year cornerback Darnay Holmes of the New York Giants (Sunday, 1:25 p.m. PT on FOX).

In total, 32 Bruins are affiliated with 20 NFL teams, with others occupying spots on practice squads and reserve lists. Three linebackers – Anthony Barr (Dallas Cowboys), Jayon Brown (Las Vegas Raiders) and Myles Jack (Pittsburgh Steelers) – joined new teams during free agency, following lengthy stints with the teams that drafted them.

The season begins Thursday at 5:20 p.m. PT, when the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills on NBC.