Two Former Penn State Players Earn New Nfl Contracts

As the 2027-27 college football season is about to head into full swing, there are still some dealings within the NFL that are occurring before their season's start. Yesterday, some of that business involved two former Nittany Lions, both who already had playing experience in the NFL, but had not yet gotten their big breakthroughs. Coziah Izzard, who had formerly been with two different NFL practice squads, signed with the Arizona Cardinals, and Kevin Givens signed a one year deal with the San Francisco 49ers.

Givens' deal is more impactful considering the time he spent with the 49ers beforehand. In fact, he appeared in the last Super Bowl they made against the Kansas City Chiefs. Officially, he appeared in 14 games with the team, making 93 tackles and recording eight sacks throughout his career. His signing could prove to be important as the 9ers search for stability and depth along the defensive line.

Izzard, on the other hand, had never seen real NFL action. After going undrafted in 2025, he had initially signed with the Chiefs, only to be cut. He then thought he had found a home with the Saints, but only was a member of their practice squad. His signing with the Cardinals was actually intended to fill a hole left by the injury of one of their rookies.

Both Izzard and Givens had much more prolific careers at Penn State, with Izzard recording 78 tackles, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles over 51 games from 2020-2024. Givens made 23 appearances along the defensive line from 2016-2019.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Two former Penn State players earn new NFL contracts