Another year, another former Penn State football player will be playing for a Super Bowl.

With the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs both picking up wins during Super Wild Card Weekend, the AFC will be guaranteed to have at least one Nittany Lion representing it at Super Bowl LVIII next month in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Over the 58 years of the Super Bowl era, a Nittany Lion has been represented in 53 championships, and 41 games have produced a winner.

Odafe Oweh & Jordan Stout — Baltimore Ravens

Despite missing four games this season, Odafe Oweh tied his career-high in sacks in a single season with five. He continues to be a major anchor of the Ravens’ defense which secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Jordan Stout improved in just his second season as a pro, boosting nearly every stat from his rookie season.

Ryan Bates, DaQuan Jones, & Connor McGovern — Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills are set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers eventually in Buffalo, if the weather holds up, and this game has an interesting kicker. No matter who wins, the Bills or the Steelers, three Nittany Lions will advance to the next round.

Ryan Bates and Connor McGovern have rotated as starters and backups on the Bills’ offensive line throughout the season. Since signing with Buffalo in 2022, DaQuan Jones has been a constant starter for the Bills’ defensive line. This year, Jones missed nine games with a torn pectoral muscle but still finished with 2.5 sacks — the second-most in a single season for the defensive lineman.

Donovan Smith — Kansas City Chiefs

After being cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after eight seasons, Donovan Smith signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs to be their starting left tackle. Smith missed the final five games of the regular season for Kansas City but returned for Saturday’s first-round playoff victory against the Miami Dolphins.

Juice Scruggs & Adrian Amos — Houston Texans

Juice Scruggs stepped immediately into a starting guard role on the Texans’ offensive line after being drafted in the second round by Houston. Adrian Amos, on the other hand, joined the Texans after being cut by the New York Jets in December.

Pat Freiermuth, Joey Porter Jr., & Allen Robinson — Pittsburgh Steelers

Pat Freiermuth struggled in his third year as a pro, totaling only 308 receiving yards and two touchdowns, however, the tight end did miss time with a hamstring injury.

Joey Porter Jr. had a fantastic rookie season, totaling 43 tackles and grabbing one interception, while Allen Robinson had 34 receptions for 280 yards.

Ji’Ayir Brown & Kevin Givens — San Francisco 49ers

Since taking over for Talanoa Hufanga, Ji’Ayir Brown has been an excellent fill-in during his rookie year, totaling two interceptions and 35 tackles. Kevin Givens appeared in all 17 games this season and recorded 1.5 sacks. Both performances helped the 49ers secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time since 2019.

Micah Parsons — Dallas Cowboys

It was another fantastic season for Micah Parsons who totaled a career-high 14 sacks and helped the Cowboys win the NFC East. He’s also in the running to win his first Defensive Player of the Year award. The Cowboys are set to take on the Green Bay Packers in Dallas for the first round of the playoffs.

Jason Cabinda — Detriot Lions

Since moving to fullback, Jason Cabinda has been a huge part of a stellar Lions’ offense this season, despite being just a blocker on run plays. He’ll aim to help the Lions win their first playoff in 32 years when Detriot takes on the Los Angeles Rams.

Brandon Smith — Philadelphia Eagles

Linebacker Brandon Smith recorded one assisted tackle against the Giants in December and has otherwise rostered on Philadelphia’s practice squad. The 11-6 Eagles will challenge the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night to close out Super Wild Card Weekend.

Chris Godwin — Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to finish up Super Wild Card Weekend with their matchup on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. For Chris Godwin, it was the wide receiver’s third consecutive 1,000-yard season, as the veteran totaled 1,024 yards and hauled in two touchdowns in 2023.

Rasheed Walker & Sean Clifford — Green Bay Packers

An injury to All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari leapfrogged Rasheed Walker into a starting spot on the Packers’ offensive line. Walker started 15 games this season and has been a big plus for Green Bay. Sean Clifford, meanwhile, hasn’t seen much game action in his rookie year, although he remains the backup for Jordan Love if needed.