#STATEtoSundays: Wild Card Preview
January 11, 2025 | Football
Nine Mississippi State football alums continue their quest for the Lombardi Trophy in the NFL Playoffs with six former players representing the Bulldogs on active rosters.
Five former MSU standouts will be in action on Wild Card Weekend beginning with the AFC on Saturday. Denico Autry and the Houston Texans play host to the Los Angeles Chargers at 3:30 p.m. before Preston Smith and the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Baltimore Ravens later that evening at 7.
The Texans coaching staff features Stephen Adegoke as their safeties coach. Adegoke lettered at that position for State in 2018.
Saturday's NFC Wild Card matchup between the Green Bay Packers and homestanding Philadelphia Eagles will pit a pair of Bulldogs against one another. Elgton Jenkins (Packers) and Darius Slay (Eagles) will square off in that game at 3:30 p.m.
Jenkins and Slay have eight Pro Bowl appearances between them.
Also on Saturday evening, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcome the Washington Commanders to town. Defensive back Marcus Banks has been helping the Bucs get prepared for that contest as a member of the practice squad while former Mississippi State linebacker turned assistant strength and conditioning coach DeAndre Ward works with the team in the weight room.
Former first-round draft pick Emmanuel Forbes and his Los Angeles Rams will wrap up NFC Wild Card Weekend on Monday at 7 p.m. when they take on the Minnesota Vikings. That game was moved to Glendale, Arizona due to wildfires that have ravaged Southern California.
Six-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl champion Chris Jones and the Kansas City Chiefs received a first-round bye in the playoffs and await the winner of the Chargers-Texans matchup.
Earlier this week, Jones was named first team All-Pro while former MSU teammates Logan Cooke and J.T. Gray were selected to the second team. It was Jones' sixth All-Pro selection and his third time to be tabbed to the first team. Gray earned his second All-Pro honor while Cooke received his second to go along with an invite to the Pro Bowl.
Makai Polk, who broke the school's single-season receiving record in 2021, signed a futures contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday.
AFC WILD CARD
Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) at Houston Texans (10-7) | 3:30 p.m. CBS, Paramount+, Nick
DE Denico Autry (HOU)
AFC WILD CARD
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) at Baltimore Ravens (12-5) | 7 p.m. Prime Video
LB Preston Smith (PIT)
NFC WILD CARD
Green Bay Packers (11-6) at Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) | 3:30 p.m. FOX
OG Elgton Jenkins (GB)
CB Darius Slay (PHI)
NFC WILD CARD
Minnesota Vikings (14-3) vs. Los Angeles Rams (10-7) in Glendale, Ariz. | 7 p.m. ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+
CB Emmanuel Forbes (LAR)
