The Utes will be well-represented in the NFL playoffs. What about BYU and the rest of Utah?

University of Utah football fans have plenty of former Utes to cheer on in this season’s NFL playoffs.

The postseason field is set after Sunday’s Week 18 action, and with it, there will be 39 players with Beehive State ties who are on playoff rosters for the 2025 playoffs.

That is five more than 34 Utah ties who made playoff rosters last season — and the most since the playoff field expanded from 12 to 14 teams in the 2020 season.

The Utes lead the way in playoff representation among Utah schools, and by a large margin. There are 20 former Utes players on postseason rosters this year, a significant uptick from 11 last season.

There are also 19 players with Utah ties who played high school football in-state that made the NFL playoffs.

And since there is at least one Utah tie on every playoff roster, it’s guaranteed that a tie to the state will be a Super Bowl champion this season.

Utah ties in 2025 NFL playoffs, by school

Note: Players can count towards multiple Utah schools. Players who have played at two or more Utah schools, whether at the high school or collegiate levels, count toward every school they have played at for at least one season.

Utah ties on this year’s NFL playoff rosters

• University of Utah: 20 (10 active roster, 1 injured reserve, 9 practice squad).
• BYU: 7 (3 active roster, 4 injured reserve, 0 practice squad).
• Utah State: 5 (2 active roster, 2 injured reserve, 1 practice squad).
• Weber State: 2 (2 active roster, 0 injured reserve, 0 practice squad).
• Southern Utah: 2 (0 active roster, 2 injured reserve, 0 practice squad).
• Snow College: 2 (2 active roster, 0 injured reserve, 0 practice squad).
• Utah high schools: 19 (9 active roster, 6 injured reserve, 4 practice squad).

How 39 Utah ties in this year’s playoffs compares to the past five years:34 in 2024 season, 27 in 2023, 28 in 2022, 34 in 2021, 34 in 2020.

How it compares by school, past five years:

• University of Utah:11 in 2024 season, 8 in 2023, 8 in 2022, 11 in 2021, 15 in 2020.
• BYU: 9 in 2024 season, 7 in 2023, 7 in 2022, 8 in 2021, 5 in 2020.
• Utah State:3 in 2024 season, 3 in 2023, 3 in 2022, 5 in 2021, 6 in 2020.
• Weber State:3 in 2024 season, 3 in 2023, 2 in 2022, 3 in 2021, 2 in 2020.
• Southern Utah:1 in 2024 season, 1 in 2023, 0 in 2022, 1 in 2021, 0 in 2020.
• Snow College:2 in 2024 season, 1 in 2023, 0 in 2022, 1 in 2021, 2 in 2020.
• Utah high schools:16 in 2024 season, 10 in 2023, 14 in 2022, 15 in 2021, 13 in 2020.

Other Utah ties of note in this year’s NFL playoffs

Of the 39 Utah ties in the 2025 playoffs, three are Pro Bowlers this year.

That includes Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (BYU and Orem High), Seattle Seahawks wide receiver/return specialist Rashid Shaheed (Weber State) and Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles (Utah, Snow College and Westlake High).

Former University of Utah and Timpview High wide receiver/return specialist Britain Covey is the lone reigning Super Bowl champion with a Utah tie.

He won his first Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, and after briefly joining the Rams during the offseason this year, he is back in Philadelphia as the Eagles prepare for another playoff appearance.

Here’s a look at each of the Utah ties on NFL playoff rosters this year. Players are on a team’s active roster unless otherwise noted.

AFC playoff teams

No. 1 seed: Denver Broncos

• Garett Bolles, OT, Utah, Snow College and Westlake High
• Jonah Elliss, OLB, Utah.
• Karene Reid, ILB, Utah and Timpview High (injured reserve, designated to return).
• Caleb Lohner, TE, Utah (practice squad).
• Kyrese Rowan, WR, Utah State, Utah and Roy High (practice squad).

No. 2 seed: New England Patriots

• Khyiris Tonga, DT, BYU and Granger High.
• Miles Battle, CB, Utah (practice squad).

No. 3 seed: Jacksonville Jaguars

• Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah.
• Tim Patrick, WR, Utah.
• Ja’Quinden Jackson, RB, Utah (practice squad).

No. 4 seed: Pittsburgh Steelers

• Jaylen Warren, RB, Utah State, Snow College and East High.
• Miles Killebrew, S, Southern Utah (injured reserve).

No. 5 seed: Houston Texans

• Dalton Schultz, TE, Bingham High.
• Ajani Carter, CB, Utah State (injured reserve).
• Leki Fotu, DT, Utah and Herriman High (practice squad).
• Junior Tafuna, DT, Utah and Bingham High (practice squad).

No. 6 seed: Buffalo Bills

• Cole Bishop, S, Utah.
• Jackson Hawes, TE, Highland High.
• Taron Johnson, CB, Weber State.
• Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah.
• Mitch Wishnowsky, P, Utah.

No. 7 seed: Los Angeles Chargers

• Andre James, C, Herriman High.
• Marcus Williams, S, Utah (practice squad).
• Thomas Yassmin, TE, Utah (practice squad).

NFC playoff teams

No. 1 seed: Seattle Seahawks

• Connor O’Toole, LB, Utah.
• Rashid Shaheed, WR, Weber State.

No. 2 seed: Chicago Bears

• Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah.
• Braxton Jones, OT, Southern Utah and Murray High (injured reserve).
• Noah Sewell, LB, Orem High (injured reserve).
• Xavier Carlton, DL, Utah and Juan Diego Catholic High (practice squad, injured).

No. 3 seed: Philadelphia Eagles

• Britain Covey, WR, Utah and Timpview High.
• Cameron Latu, TE, Olympus High.

No. 4 seed: Carolina Panthers

• Brady Christensen, OT, BYU and Bountiful High (injured reserve).

No. 5 seed: Los Angeles Rams

• Puka Nacua, WR, BYU and Orem High.

No. 6 seed: San Francisco 49ers

• Jakob Robinson, CB, BYU, Utah State and Orem High (injured reserve).
• Fred Warner, LB, BYU (injured reserve).

No. 7 seed: Green Bay Packers

• Chris Brooks, RB, BYU.
• Jordan Love, QB, Utah State.
• Zayne Anderson, S, BYU and Stansbury High (injured reserve).