The 2026 NFL season opens Wednesday evening when the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a rematch of February's Super Bowl 60.

Once again, the league will be filled with players with Idaho connections, including three playing in Wednesday’s opener.

A total of 19 players who played either high school or college football in Idaho made the 53-man roster of 13 different teams this year.

Here’s a look at all of them.

DEMARCUS LAWRENCE AND GEORGE HOLANI (SEATTLE SEAHAWKS)

A pair of former Boise State Broncos are back for the defending Super Bowl champions this season. After spending the first 11 years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, Lawrence signed with the Seahawks prior to last season and shifted from defensive end to outside linebacker. In 16 regular season games, he had 53 tackles, including six sacks and three forced fumbles. He added two more sacks and three forced fumbles in Seattle’s three playoff games.

Last month, Lawrence told Yahoo! Sports the 2026 season would be his final season.

Holani is in his third season with the Seahawks, signing as an undrafted free agent in 2024. The running back had his first two career touchdowns in 2025, recovering a kickoff in the end zone against Pittsburgh and scoring on a 9-yard run against Arizona. Seattle used its first-round pick this season to draft running back Jadarian Price after Kenneth Walker signed with Kansas City, but Holani is still expected to play a role in the run game. 

ASHTON JEANTY (LAS VEGAS RAIDERS)

The 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up from Boise State had 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns as a rookie and is hoping to build on that. He suffered an ankle sprain in practice on Aug. 23, but the Raiders remain hopeful he will be able to play in their season opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

AHMED HASSANEIN AND HOGAN HATTEN (DETROIT LIONS)

Hassanein is expected to make his anticipated NFL debut Sunday when the Lions host the New Orleans Saints.

Hassanein, a defensive end who was drafted by Detroit in the sixth round of last year’s draft, had a lot of promise around him before suffering a pectoral strain in a preseason game. He was waived with an injury settlement before the 2025 season, but re-signed with the Lions’ practice squad in November. He had two sacks in a preseason game this year and made the Lions’ 53-man roster.

Hatten, a former Idaho Vandal, is in his third season as Detroit’s long snapper.

KAGE CASEY, JL SKINNER AND JONAH ELLISS (DENVER BRONCOS)

The two former Boise State Broncos remain Broncos in the NFL. Skinner is entering his fourth season with Denver as a safety. He has 21 career tackles and two fumble recoveries.

Casey will be a rookie offensive lineman for Denver after being selected by the Broncos in the fourth round of the draft in April.

Ellis, a linebacker from Moscow High, has had 66 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his first two years in the NFL.

Denver opens on the road Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.

JOHN BATES, JEREMY MCNICHOLS AND COLSON YANKOFF (WASHINGTON COMMANDERS)

The Commanders also have three players with Idaho connections with Bates and McNichols both being former Boise State players and Yankoff being a Coeur d’Alene native.

Both Bates and Yankoff are part of the Commanders’ tight end rotation. Bates, who missed some time in preseason with a hamstring injury, has 72 career receptions for 695 yards and three touchdowns in his five-year professional career, all with Washington. Yankoff is in his third year in the NFL, all with Washington, and caught the first two passes of his career last year.

McNichols, an eight-year NFL vet in his third season in Washington, will start the season on IR, out at least the first four weeks with a quad injury. Washington opens at Philadelphia on Sunday.

KHALIL SHAKIR (BUFFALO BILLS)

Shakir, a former Boise State Bronco, has become a reliable target at wide receiver for Bills quarterback Josh Allen, with Shakir catching at least 70 passes and gaining at least 700 receiving yards each of the last two seasons. He scored four touchdowns both years.

He is entering his fifth season with Buffalo, which opens at the Houston Texans on Sunday.

SCOTT MATLOCK (LOS ANGELES CHARGERS)

Matlock, a former Boise State Bronco and Homedale High graduate who plays both fullback and defensive lineman for the Chargers, will start the season on the IR with an undisclosed injury. 

EZRA CLEVELAND (JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS)

The former Boise State offensive lineman is entering his fourth season with Jacksonville. He has started all 31 games he’s played in for the Jaguars the last two seasons.

The Jaguars host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

COLSTON LOVELAND (CHICAGO BEARS)

The Gooding High graduate and All-American tight end at Michigan had 713 receiving yards and six touchdowns for the Bears in his rookie season last year.

Chicago plays at the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

KENYON SADIQ (NEW YORK JETS)

The Skyline High graduate became the second tight end from Idaho drafted in the first round of the NFL draft in the last two years when he went 16th overall to the lets. Loveland went 10th overall in 2025.

Sadiq was a second-team All-American at Oregon last year. He was recovering from hernia surgery in the preseason, but remains on track to play Sunday at the Tennessee Titans.

CHRISTIAN ELLIS (NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS)

Ellis, a former Idaho Vandal, is expected to start for the Patriots at linebacker again this season.

The sixth-year NFL player had a career-high 94 tackles during New England’s AFC championship run a season ago.

KADEN ELLIS (NEW ORLEANS SAINTS)

Elliss, the older brother of both Jonah and Christian, is another former Vandal in the league. The linebacker returns to New Orleans, where he started his NFL career in 2019 before spending the last three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He had over 100 tackles in each of his three seasons with Atlanta.

The Saints are also coached by former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, who is in his second season leading the team.

TOMMY TOGIAI (HOUSTON TEXANS)

The Highland High graduate and defensive tackle had his most productive NFL season last year, finishing with career high in tackles (59), tackles for a loss (6) and sacks (1.5).