Former Oklahoma DL makes huge play in NFL debut

Former Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Ethan Downs waited nearly an entire season to make his NFL debut, but he sure made his moment count, and made a great memory along the way.

Downs' first-ever NFL game came in Week 18 of the season for the Kansas City Chiefs. After going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, Downs signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but was let go as a part of preseason roster cuts. He signed with Kansas City, where he's been a practice squad player all year.

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However, with the Chiefs readying for the final game of the season, Downs got the call-up to the active roster for his NFL debut. He wasted no time in making a headline play against the Las Vegas Raiders.

With the Chiefs trailing 11-6 in the fourth quarter and kicking off to the Raiders, Downs laid a big hit on the kick returner, forcing a fumble that Kansas City was able to recover. Though Las Vegas would go on to win the low-scoring games, Downs' play was one of the big moments in the divisional matchup.

Downs is one of three players from last year's OU roster who are currently on an NFL roster. The other two, New Orleans Saints linebacker Danny Stutsman and Atlanta Falcons defensive back Billy Bowman Jr., were both selected in last April's draft. The trio of Stutsman, Bowman, and Downs all arrived in Norman as part of the 2021 recruiting class under former head coach Lincoln Riley, but all three chose to stay at OU after Riley and much of the defensive staff bolted for USC.

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Under head coach Brent Venables, the trio became pillars of the Sooner defense, and all three chose to come back for their senior seasons in 2024. Though that year didn't go the way they'd hoped it would, they helped lay the groundwork for OU's elite defense in 2025 that buoyed a berth in the College Football Playoff.

While Stutsman and Bowman have been playing all season long for their respective franchises, Downs had to wait a little longer to step onto an NFL field. He made an unforgettable memory in his initial professional action.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Former OU defensive lineman makes waves in his first-ever NFL game