| 9/11/2025 | Football BOCA RATON, Fla. – The opening week of the 2025 NFL season is in the books with five former Florida Atlantic Owls seeing action. Here’s a rundown of how each performed during the first week (All gametimes listed below are Eastern): Active Owls (5) #0 Azeez Al-Shaair | LB | Houston Texans – Al-Shaair was the lone Houston linebacker to take the field on all 60 of the team’s defensive snaps and was second on the team with seven tackles. His impact was felt throughout the game, but none more so than in the fourth quarter when he forced a red zone turnover. With the opposing Los Angeles Rams driving down the field with a five-point lead and just over four minutes to go, Al-Shaair laid out for a major hit, knocking the ball loose and allowing Houston to recover it. The Texans could not convert offensively, leaving the final score at 14-9. Texans’ Record: 0-1 Next Game: vs. Tampa Bay – Monday, 7 p.m. (ABC/ESPN) #91 Trey Hendrickson | DE | Cincinnati Bengals – The NFL sack champion was at it again with another one against the AFC North rival Cleveland Browns. In addition to the sack, he registered three quarterback hits on the afternoon and three tackles in his 57 snaps. The Bengals picked up the 17-16 win. Bengals’ Record: 1-0 Next Game: vs. Jacksonville – Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS) #84 Zaire Mitchell-Paden | TE | Baltimore Ravens – Mitchell-Paden made his official NFL regular season debut after four seasons on practice squads. He saw extensive action, taking the field 15 times on offense and seeing seven snaps on special teams. Used as a run blocker, the Ravens offense totaled 238 yards on the ground and ran for three touchdowns before falling to the Buffalo Bills by a score of 41-40 on a last-second field goal. Ravens’ Record: 0-1 Next Game: vs. Cleveland – Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS) #42 James Pierre | CB | Pittsburgh Steelers – Pierre was a practice squad elevation in Pittsburgh’s 34-32 victory over the New York Jets. Returning to his special teams roots, he played 11 snaps for the team in the third phase of the game. Following the game, he was signed to the 53-man roster for the sixth straight season. Steelers’ Record: 1-0 Next Game: vs. Seattle (and Maranges) – Sunday, 1 p.m. (FOX) #26 Devin Singletary | RB | New York Giants – “Motor” saw the field 10 times against the divisional foe Washington Commanders and received three carries for nine yards. The Giants fell by a score of 21-6. Giants’ Record: 0-1 Next Game: at Dallas – Sunday, 1 p.m. (FOX) Practice Squad (4) #58 Evan Anderson | DT | San Francisco 49ers #88 Harrison Bryant | TE | Houston Texans #62 Federico Maranges | C | Seattle Seahawks #73 Brandon Walton | OT | Carolina Panthers Check fausports.com each Thursday to see how each Owl did the previous week along with a preview of their respective team’s next game. |
