Three former Penn State football players received bad news on Tuesday. With the NFL roster deadline set at 4 p.m. on Aug. 26, Sean Clifford, Kalen King, and Jalen Kimber were trimmed off their teams' 53-man rosters.
Earlier in the day, wide receiver K.J. Hamler got the boot as well, getting cut from and released by the Buffalo Bills.
Green Bay Packers cut quarterback Sean Clifford and cornerback Kalen King
Clifford was in a battle to make the Packers' depth chart and it's not surprising to see he fell short.
Since entering the league, he's been a Green Bay practice squad veteran. He was drafted in the fifth round, 149th overall by the Packers in 2023. The 27-year-old saw time on the field in the 2025 NFL Preseason with nine completions for 44 yards. With Green Bay waiving Taylor Elgersma as well, though, there was not shot for Clifford to somehow sneak his way onto the roster.
The Packers will now go with QB1 Jordan Love and backup QB Malik Willis in 2025 as Elgersma and Clifford compete to make the practice squad.
At Penn State, Clifford played in 51 games, starting in 46, and had a 61.4 career completion percentage. He recorded 833 completions for 10,661 yards and 86 touchdowns.
What was a shock, though, was the release of King. The cornerback was a seventh round selection and drafted 255th overall in 2024. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad and was considered one of Green Bay's most improved players during training camp and preseason. In the three games, he allowed one completion for one yard over three passes.
King's consistency and confidence wasn't enough and the Packers had to announce a roster upset on Tuesday. He's likely to spend his second season on the Green Bay practice squad again.
The cornerback started 23 of 38 total games played in his collegiate career as a Nittany Lion. He recorded 82 tackles, 28 passes defensed, 25 pass break-ups, 5.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
Tennessee Titans cut defensive back Jalen Kimber
Kimber was an early cut for Tennessee. He came to the Titans as an undrafted free agent after a disappointing 2025 NFL Draft. However, his preseason performance was meek, only totaling two tackles. The Titans released him on Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. with 15 other active roster players.
The defensive back transferred to Penn State in 2024 from Florida. Kimber made 15 starts in 16 games played and posted 35 tackles, three pass break-ups, and one tackle for loss. In his collegiate career, including as a Gator, he had 75 tackles, nine pass break-ups, one interception, and one fumble recovery over 44 career games.