DeKALB — Each year, many NFL players are faced with the same harsh reality: They won’t live out their dream of playing on Sundays. Nearly 1,200 players are displaced by the league’s annual cutdown process as all 32 teams slash their rosters from 90 to 53 players.
Former NIU players — whether they’re just starting their pro careers or deep in — are no exception to this process. Teams had until 3 p.m. CT Tuesday to reduce their rosters to the league-mandated limit ahead of the regular season.
With the dust of this year’s cuts settled, one former Huskie made an active roster, three more earned spots on practice squads and another three are stashed on reserve lists across the league.
Veteran guard Max Scharping was re-signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday after being released as part of final roster cuts. A second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, Scharping spent three seasons in Houston (2019-21) and two with the Cincinnati Bengals (2022-23). He also had brief stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders before joining the Steelers in October.
To the practice squad!
Over in Los Angeles, defensive tackle Jack Heflin and rookie safety Nate Valcarcel were signed to the Rams’ practice squad on Wednesday. Heflin, who played four seasons at NIU before finishing his career at Iowa, entered the league in 2022 as an undrafted free agent signing with the Green Bay Packers. He later made stops with the New York Giants, the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks and the New Orleans Saints before signing with the Rams in December.
Valcarcel signed with LA as a UDFA in April. He played in all three preseason games for the Rams, recording 15 tackles — seven solo — and a pass breakup over 117 snaps, per PFF. Though Valcarcel won’t play on Sundays just yet, he’s optimistic about his NFL future.
“It’s a blessing to be able to be here after cut day and be on the team still,” Valcarcel told the Northern Star. “The coaches told me it’s a long season, so you never know what’s going to happen … I’m going to still stay committed to the process, stay locked in with the playbook and continue to grow.”
Rounding out the practice squad additions, second-year defensive tackle James Ester will stick with the Packers to start the 2025 season. Ester spent all of last season on Green Bay’s practice squad and appeared in all three of this year’s preseason games.
Valcarcel and Ester are the only two to have played under NIU head coach Thomas Hammock, who said the pair have embodied what it means to be a Huskie.
“Making an NFL team is such a tremendous honor and exclusive club,” Hammock said. “I couldn’t be more proud of James Ester and Nate Valcarcel. Their hard work and dedication to their craft is paying off. They just need to remain patient and ready for when the opportunity presents itself to make the active roster. They are great examples of guys that have done it The Hard Way.”
Stuck on the sideline
Three more former Huskies are also listed on NFL roster pages, though each will be sidelined for various stretches. New England Patriots fullback Brock Lampe’s rookie season ended before it could even start when an undisclosed injury landed him on injured reserve on July 29. Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Eric Rogers was also placed on injured reserve Wednesday — a day after he made the team’s initial 53-man roster.
Texans safety Jimmie Ward, however, is on a reserve list for different reasons.
Ward, a former first-round pick for the San Francisco 49ers, was placed on the Commissioner Exempt List on Tuesday following two offseason arrests — the first stemming from an alleged assault against the mother of his son. According to the NFL, the Commissioner Exempt List is a special player status available to clubs only in “unusual circumstances,” with only NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell having the authority to assign a player to it.
While on the list, Ward will continue to be paid but is prohibited from attending Texans practices and games until his legal matters are resolved to the league’s satisfaction. Ward will not count against Houston’s active roster in the meantime.
Waiting for another shot
Though many former Huskies had homes after the dust settled, four former Huskies weren’t as fortunate. Offensive tackle Marques Cox, linebacker DaRon Gilbert, offensive guard J.J. Lippe and defensive tackle Devonte O’Malley were each waived by their respective teams.
The Denver Broncos parted ways with Cox nearly four months after signing him as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky. Cox spent his first five college seasons at NIU before switching to the Wildcats in 2023. Meanwhile, Gilbert wasn’t brought back onto the Detroit Lions’ practice squad after spending two preseasons with his hometown team. Lippe and O’Malley had been reunited with Ester in Green Bay during the preseason, but both were let go in the final round of cuts.
With all four having cleared the waived wire, they can be signed to a team’s active roster or practice squad at any time. Each club can carry up to 53 players on its active roster and 16 on its practice squad during the regular season.
