Owls in the NFL in the 2022 Season

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The opening game of the 2022 NFL season is here and features the defending Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams, hosting the Buffalo Bills. The Bills boast two former Florida Atlantic University football players, one a starter on the offense in Devin Singletary, and one a defensive player on the practice squad in Brandin Bryant. Entering week one, 13 Owls currently see their name on NFL rosters.

The Bills are among nine NFL teams with an FAU Owl on their roster. The Cleveland Browns lead the way with three followed by the Cincinnati Bengals and Bills both having two. Seven former FAU players are active as part of their respective 53-man roster, one is on the injured reserve, and five are on their team's practice squad.

Here are details on each Owl and their week one opponent. All times are Eastern.

Active (7)
#51 Azeez Al-Shaair | LB | San Francisco 49ers
- Al-Shaair enters his fourth season with the Niners after a breakout season of 102 tackles in 2021.
First game: at Chicago – Sunday, 1 p.m. (FOX)

#88 Harrison Bryant | TE | Cleveland Browns
- Bryant is coming off of a solid second season with the Browns, playing in 16 games and catching three touchdowns.
First game: at Carolina – Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS)

#91 Trey Hendrickson | DE | Cincinnati Bengals
- Hendrickson lived up to expectations and then some in his first year as a Bengal, leading the defense with 14 sacks, ranked fifth in the NFL in 2021. Hendrickson's performance was a key factor to Cincinnati's first Super Bowl appearance since 1988, where he recorded a sack in the opening quarter.
First game: at Pittsburgh (and Pierre) – Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS)

#1 Greg Joseph | K | Minnesota Vikings
- Joseph returns for his second season with the Vikings after converting 88% of his field goals in 2021, including a career long 55-yarder.
First game: vs. Green Bay – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

#42 James Pierre | CB | Pittsburgh Steelers
- Pierre enters his third year with the Steelers after playing all 17 games and making four starts in 2021. He has not missed a game in his first two seasons as an NFL player.
First game: vs. Cincinnati (and Hendrickson) – Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS)

#26 Devin Singletary | RB | Buffalo Bills
- "Motor" will take the field on opening night in his fourth season as a Bill. Singletary set a career-high in both rushing yards and touchdowns with 870 and seven, respectively, for a Bills team that won 11 games.
First game: at. Los Angeles Rams – Thursday, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

#73 Brandon Walton | OT | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It's been a long time coming for Walton who made Tampa's 53-man roster after two previous tries, spending last season on the practice squad.
First game: at. Dallas Cowboys – Sunday, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

Injured (1)
#60 Desmond Noel | OG | Cincinnati Bengals
After signing with Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 draft, Noel was waived with an injury designation and is currently on the team's injured reserve list.

Practice Squad (5)
#93 Brandin Bryant | DT | Buffalo Bills
#92 Trevon Coley | DE | Chicago Bears
#38 Zyon Gilbert | CB | New York Giants
#29 Herb Miller | CB | Cleveland Browns
#80 Zaire Mitchell-Paden | TE | Cleveland Browns

Owls on the practice squad include 2022 undrafted free agents Mitchell-Paden and Gilbert, the latter who is the all-time FAU leader in games played.

Each Thursday, check back here on FAUSports.com to see how each Owl did each week, along with a preview of their respective team's next game.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

Zyon Gilbert

Zaire Mitchell-Paden

Desmond Noel

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Football versus Memphis on September 27, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football at Rice on October 4, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Football versus UAB on October 11, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Football at South Florida on October 18, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Football at Navy on October 25, 2025 at 3:30 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football versus Tulsa on November 8, 2025 at TBA

Florida Atlantic University Athletics