Several alums of the Washington Huskies football program are tied to some of the most interesting storylines in the NFL this offseason.

Former Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will be competing with former Miami Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa will be competing for the starting job with the Atlanta Falcons when the former is fully cleared from ACL surgery.

Denzel Boston, who was picked in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, is also looking like one of the better offensive players on the Browns this offseason.

Other '26 draftees, including running back Jonah Coleman (Denver Broncos), offensive lineman Carver Willis (San Francisco 49ers), cornerback Ephesians Prysock (49ers), cornerback Tacario Davis (Cincinnati Bengals), defensive tackle Anterio Thompson (Falcons) and edge rusher Zach Durfee (Jacksonville Jaguars) will be looking to carve out roles on their respective teams and make an impact their rookie seasons.

While those new professionals will be looking to carve out roles on their respective teams, another alum of the UW football team's status with his new team is currently in doubt.

Edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was absent from the Philadelphia Eagles' mandatory minicamp with no explanation from coaches or him why he was absent. He also missed OTAs.

Tryon-Shoyinka, Seattle native, played with Washington from 2017-20. He was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2019. He had 41 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks that season.

Following his all-conference 2019 season, the Pac-12 announced the 2020 season would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tryon-Shoyinka opted to skip the abridged 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.

That decision proved to be a fruitful one for the Seattle native, who was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers didn't exercise Tryon-Shoyinka's fifth-year option, which made him a free agent following the 2024 season. He signed a one-year, $4.75 million contract with the Cleveland Browns on March 12, 2025, and was traded to the Chicago Bears on Nov. 4, 2025.

After last season, Tryon-Shoyinka became a free agent again and signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Eagles and seemed set to compete for rotational reps on the team's front seven this offseason.

In his five-season career, Tryon-Shoyinka has 160 combined tackles (97 solo), including 22 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.

Philadelphia signed veteran defensive end AJ Epenesa at the end of minicamp, which could potentially park a insurance policy or a sign that Tryon-Shoyinka's time with the Eagles could be over before it began.

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