Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season is in the books, and several former Iowa football players had huge hands in their teams’ performances.
The collection of former Hawkeyes in the NFL continues to grow, with several more being added to rosters this year after many were active last season. While high-end names like Sam LaPorta, Cooper DeJean, George Kittle and Tristan Wirfs dominate the alumni list, several other names Iowa fans will recognize are making significant impacts at the pro level too.
With that, here are three ex-Hawkeyes who stood out in Week 6 of the NFL season.
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions TE
The Lions’ Sunday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t go as planned, with Detroit suffering a 30-17 road loss following four straight wins. However, LaPorta made his presence felt all the same.
The former Iowa tight end finished with five receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown, his end-zone visit coming on an incredible toe tap through traffic early in the fourth quarter. It marked LaPorta’s second touchdown of the year.
Through six games, LaPorta has 26 receptions and is averaging 12.5 yards per catch.
Geno Stone, Cincinnati Bengals S
The Bengals gave all they had in their loss to the Green Bay Packers, with newly acquired quarterback Joe Flacco trying to keep the Bengals afloat while Joe Burrow is injured. Cincinnati got after Packers quarterback Jordan Love in the loss, with Stone right in the middle of the action.
In the 27-18 loss, the former Iowa safety finished with three tackles, a sack, two quarterback hits, a pass defended and an interception hat included a 25-yard return. The pick was Stone’s first on the year and 13th of his career.
Tory Taylor, Chicago Bears P
Caleb Williams told the media when Taylor was drafted that the former Iowa punter wouldn’t be needed much with this new Chicago attack. The Bears quarterback was finally right in Chicago’s 25-24 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football. Still, Taylor’s two punts were crucial in the win.
He first dropped one at the Washington 9-yard line with less than a minute to go in the first half, preventing Washington from sneaking in a field-goal drive right before the break. That boot covered 53 yards.
Taylor’s second punt arrived in the fourth quarter with Chicago desperately trying to hang on. The 53-yard boot flipped the field when the Bears were backed up. A costly Jayden Daniels fumble followed and allowed the Bears to ultimately kick a walk-off field goal, with Taylor delivering the winning hold.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Three former Iowa football players who stood out in Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season
Reporting by Dargan Southard, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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