#STATEtoSundays: Wild Card Preview
January 10, 2026 | Football
It's playoff time in the NFL and there will be plenty of Mississippi State flavor on the field, sidelines and beyond on Wild Card Weekend.
Five of the six games slated for Wild Card Weekend will feature former Bulldogs. Former first round pick Emmanuel Forbes and the Los Angeles Rams will kickoff things at the Carolina Panthers on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on FOX. Helping get the Panthers prepared for that NFC matchup is defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy, who is a member of the practice squad.
Former Pro Bowler Montez Sweat will be in the primetime matchup on Saturday evening as his Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers at 7 p.m. on Prime Video. Unfortunately, two-time Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins won't be in the trenches for the Packers after landing on injured reserve in mid-November with a fractured leg.
Sunday's slate of games starts off in the AFC where former Pro Bowl punter Logan Cooke and the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Buffalo Bills at noon. MSU alum Fred Walker will also be working that game as an offensive assistant for the Jaguars. Six-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Darius Slay is on the Bills reserve roster but has yet to report.
Another Super Bowl champ and Pro Bowler, K.J. Wright, will be roaming the sidelines for the San Francisco 49ers in his second season as a defensive quality control coach as they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on FOX.
Monday night's matchup sends the Houston Texasns' veteran defensive end Denico Autry and running back Woody Marks to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN and ABC. Stephen Adegoke, who lettered for the Bulldogs in 2018, serves as the safeties coach for the Texans.
State alum Dr. Allen Sills also holds the distinction as the NFL's chief medical officer.
Charles Cross, another former first round draft pick, will be waiting in the NFC Divisional Round after he and the Seattle Seahawks earned a first-round bye following a 14-3 regular season. Cross just signed a four-year, $104.4 million contract extension with the Seahawks earlier this week.
Safety Marcus Banks and offensive tackle Tyre Phillips also inked futures contracts this week to respectively remain with the Buccaneers and Browns.
Los Angeles Rams (12-5) at Carolina Panthers (8-9) | 3:30 p.m. FOX
CB Emmanuel Forbes (LAR)
Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) at Chicago Bears (11-6) | 7 p.m. Prime Video
DE Montez Sweat (CHI)
Buffalo Bills (12-5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4) | 12 p.m. CBS
P Logan Cooke (JAX)
Houston Texans (12-5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) | 7:15 p.m. ESPN, ABC
DE Denico Autry (HOU)
RB Woody Marks (HOU)
![Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9) punts during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fmsstate.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F1%2F1%2FUSATSI_27828199.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
