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NFL Puzzle #9 recap: Chris Moore to Jerry Rice

This NFL puzzle ran on Aug 11, 2026. The task was to connect Chris Moore to Jerry Rice with a chain of real players. The objective: “Links must alternate between a shared team and a shared college, starting with a shared team.” Par was 3 links.

The Start: Chris Moore

Chris Moore (WR) played in the NFL from 2016 to 2026. Career stops: the Baltimore Ravens (2016 to 2026), the Houston Texans (2021 to 2022), the Tennessee Titans (2023), the Arizona Cardinals (2024), and the Washington Commanders (2025). College: Cincinnati. As the Start of the chain, a household name like this gives you a lot of teammates to branch from, which makes it a friendly place to begin.

The Finish: Jerry Rice

Jerry Rice (WR) played in the NFL from 1990 to 2004. Career stops: the San Francisco 49ers (1990 to 2000), the Las Vegas Raiders (2001 to 2004), and the Seattle Seahawks (2004). College: Mississippi Valley State University. Honors in the dataset: Offensive Player of the Year. As the Finish of the chain, a household name like this gives you a lot of teammates to branch from, which makes it a friendly place to begin.

Chris Moore and Jerry Rice do not share a team or a college, so there is no direct link. You need at least one connector in between, and the objective decides which ones are allowed to count.

How the objective shapes the route

This was an alternating-link objective. Links have to take turns between a shared team and a shared college, in the order the objective states.

Show a 3-link solution (spoiler)

One shortest chain found by searching the full player pool, preferring the best known names at every step:

  1. Chris Moore (WR), the Start
  2. Larry Fitzgerald (WR), linked to the previous player through Arizona Cardinals
  3. Rickey Jackson (LB), linked to the previous player through Pittsburgh
  4. Jerry Rice (WR), linked to the previous player through San Francisco 49ers

Many other chains work. Scoring rewards lower-profile connectors, so the best-known route is rarely the highest scoring one.

Want more? Browse the full NFL puzzle archive, read the strategy guides, or see how scoring works on How to Play.